American Jewishness at the Turn of the 21st Century: Culture, Film, Literature 4219-SC062
The course looks at Jewishness in American literature, culture and film at the turn of the 21st century. We will discuss the issues of assimilation and acculturation, remembering the Shoah but also analyze gender and sexuality in the context of Jewishness, Jewish responses to 9/11, and the problems of new immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Apart from literary works (e.g. by Philip Roth, Cynthia Ozick, Nathan Englander, Allegra Goodman, Gary Shteyngart, Michael Chabon, Anya Ulinich), we will consider a number of filmic and TV representations (e.g. Munich, Borat, Clueless, A Serious Man, Meet the Parents, The Daily Show, Seinfeld, The Nanny) and explore Jewish-American presence on the Internet.
Topics covered:
- Key concepts - Jewish American literature, Judaism/Jewishness, assimilation/acculturation, immigration, ethnicity/race, becoming white, anti-Semitism, schlemiel/schlemazel, effeminized man/ manly woman
-Classic Jewish-American writers
-New immigrant fiction
-New Yiddishists
-Israel and Zionist discourse
-Eros and the Jews
-Representing the Shoah
-Jewish humor
-Jews on television
-Responses to 9/11
-Marketing Jewishness
-Hip Jews today
Type of course
Learning outcomes
- the ability to critically use the concept of Jewishness
- knowledge of various definitions/ theorizations of the concept "Jewishness" in relation to other social categories
- the ability to analyze literary texts and films using the concept of Jewishness
- the ability to discern historically specific constructs of "the Jew"
- basic research skills in Jewish Cultural Studies
- improved skills in critically presenting a critical or literary text in class
- improved skills in preparing a concise hand-out accompanying the presentation
- ability to formulate a research topic in Jewish Cultural studies using literary text/film as the basis of analysis
- improved ability to write an essay in cultural studies
Assessment criteria
1. Attendance and active participation in class discussions and other activities - 10% of the final grade.
2. In class presentation - 20 % of the final grade.
3. Midterm test - 30% of the final grade.
4. Final paper - 40% of the final grade.
Students will need 60% minimum to pass the class. Failure to attempt to complete any of the major assignment will result in failure for the class.
Grading scale:
0-60 - 2
60-70 - 3
71-75 - 3,5
76-85 - 4
86-90 - 4,5
91-95 - 5
96-100 - 5!
Bibliography
Selection from: Philip Roth, Cynthia Ozick, Nathan Englander, Allegra Goodman, Gary Shteyngart, Michael Chabon, Anya Ulinich
Secondary sources (selection): Hana Wirth-Nesher, Michael P. Kramer, eds., The Cambridge Companion to Jewish American Literature, Riv-Ellen Prell, Fighting to Become Americans: Assimilation and the Trouble Between Jewish Women and Jewish Men, Jonathan Boyarin and Daniel Boyarin, eds., Jews and Other Differences: The New Jewish Cultural Studies, Ruth R. Wisse, The Modern Jewish Canon: A Journey Through Language and Culture, David Biale, Eros and the Jews, Daniel Boyarin, Daniel Itzkovitz, and Ann Pellegrini eds., Queer Theory and the Jewish Question, Jonathan N. Barron, Eric Murphy Selinger, eds
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: