Violence to Identity: An Introduction to Contemporary Israeli Literature
Violence to Identity: An Introduction to Contemporary Israeli Literature
Ron Ben-Tovim
Throughout the course of its short history, the State of Israel has been oscillating between conservatism - religion, ethnic identities, and national ideology - and change brought on by shifting politics, frequent wars, a constant influx of new immigrants, as well as a wider recognition of indigenous Palestinian populations. All while attempting the delicate balance that is instilled into the formation of the state as such: Israel as a national home for the Jewish people, and Israel the inclusive democracy. The course will center on the most recent aspects of this coming to grips of Israeli identity, while looking at literature produced in the last generation. Issues to be discussed are challenges to ethnic and religious identities; the lingering specter of the Holocaust; the Israeli military and the effect of continued hostilities and wars; immigrations and the resurgence of Diasporic tradition; and new Arab-Israeli writing.
The grade will be made up by one midterm paper (20%), one take-home exam (75%), as well as with attendance and participation in class discussion (5%).
Reading List (with two important notes at the end):
Novels
Anton Shammas, Arabesques (1986)
Orly Castel-Bloom, Dolly City (1993)
Short Fiction
Amos Oz, "Strange Fire" (1965)
Yaakov Shabtai, "A Private and Very Awesome Leopard" (1972); "The Visit" (1972)
David Grossman, "Cherries in the Icebox"
Yehoshua Kenaz, "The Three-Legged Chicken" (1993); selections from Infiltration (1986)
Etgar Keret, "The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God" (1998); "Pipes" (1992); "Missing Kissinger" (1994); "The Good Stuff" (2015)
Savyon Liebrecht, "Morning in the Park with Nannies" (1998)
Sami Bardugo, "Competition" (2012); "Trade" (1999)
Shulamit Hareven, "Twilight" (2002)
Leah Aini, "Rest" (1997)
Almog Behar "Ana min al Yahoud" (2005)
Sayed Kashua, selections from Second Person Singular (2010).
Shani Boianjo, "Means of Suppressing Demonstrations" (2012)
Poetry
Natan Zach, Shimon Adaf, Adi Keisser, Shlomi Hatuka, Yona Wallach, Nidaa Khoury, Hezi Leskali, Dan Pagis, Agi Mishol, Dalia Falah, Noam Pratom, Yoel Hoffmann, Aliaz Cohen
Essay
David Grossman, "Writing in the Dark" (2007)
Visual Culture
Film: Ari Folman, Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Comics: Rutu Modan, Assaf Hanukah, Dudu Geva
*Note I: Course reading materials will be made available via the moodle website, either through links, or scanned documents, so as to make the reading as accessible and as easy as possible. However, this cannot be done with the two novels we'll be reading, which means you have the following options:
1. Loaning the novels from the Central Library. Three copies of each novel will be made available, including one of each that will stay at the Limudit section of the library, which holds essential books that cannot be taken out of the library.
2. Buying your own copies. This can be done through either Amazon or The Book Depository, both of which ship to Israel (with The Book Depository shipping is free), or through local bookstores, such as ProBook.
Please keep in mind that everyone has to have a copy of the relevant text under study with them in class, including the novels. So, if you were reading a non-loan copy, you would still probably need to buy a copy in order to have one with you during class.
*Note II: The reading list is subject to change.
