10301 S.Y. Agnon: "Agunot" and "Edo and Enam"

Credits: 6 advanced seminar credits in Hebrew Literature

Prerequisites: 36 credits, including Selected Hebrew Short Stories: Early Twentieth Century. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.

Recommended: Selected Chapters from the Talmud, Historical Topics in the World of the Sages

Author: Hillel Weiss

The course presents narrative structures, genres, linguistic and ideological sources, as well as different versions of the story “Agunot,” and a critical reading of the various interpretations of “Edo and Enam.” It aims to teach the student how to read, understand and evaluate literary criticism. It includes a comprehensive interpretation and evaluation of the stories in order to explore the thematic structure of the literary texts. The student is presented with an analysis of “Edo and Enam” based on various research approaches to literature, to demonstrate, among others, how to analyze, study and develop existing assumptions, and to uncover meanings in literary works. The course prepares students for writing a seminar paper in Hebrew literature at the final stage of their studies towards a Bachelor’s degree.

Topics: Identifying the literary structures, literary genres and linguistic, literary and ideational sources related to “Agunot”; comparing different versions of the story; Essays and commentaries on “Edo and Enam,” by leading critics and literary scholars.