109-453 Literature of Destruction

Formerly available as 109-019 or 150-453. Students who have completed 109-019 or 150-453 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth year combined honours in Jewish studies.

This subject involves the advanced study of Jewish literary texts, classical, medieval and modern, with special concern for the theme of destruction and literary representations of and responses to catastrophe. Attention is also given to major topics in the critical tradition of reading Jewish texts. Contemporary Holocaust literature forms a substantial component of the subject, including the work of writers such as Primo Levy, Elie Wiesel and David Grossman. Students should complete the subject with a deeper and more extensive understanding of the character of Jewish literature through the ages; and have developed critical skills in its analysis and interpretation.

• have improved their written communication through essay and class paper presentation;

• be able to communicate ideas through class discussion and paper presentation.

• develop research skills and open up to various cultural avenues;

• be able to improve their time management skills through organising workloads and preparation in order to submit assessments in a timely fashion;

• develop their research skills.

A written essay of 5000 words 65% (due mid-semester) and a 20-minute oral presentation 35% (due mid-late semester).