COLT 46.01 The Jewish Family
This course will explore the various narrative forms - novel, short story, essay, self-portraiture, drama, film, television (situation comedy) - in which the Jewish family is represented. In an attempt to transcend cultural stereotypes, we will examine how the rhetorical configurations of texts describe the varieties of Jewishness and the significance of Jewish cultural identity as embodied in the family. Special attention will be paid to the rewriting of biblical texts in twentieth century literature and the ethical issues they dramatize (particularly the keeping of the covenant). Examples will be drawn from a variety of literary traditions: American, Brazilian, French, German, Hebrew, South African, and Yiddish.
Distributive and/or World Culture
Dist:LIT