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search for a modern-day Moses: The Judaic and Christian resonances in Saul Bellow's "Herzog"
Title
The search for a modern-day Moses: The Judaic and Christian resonances in Saul Bellow's "Herzog".
Creator
Crofton, Melissa Ann., Florida Atlantic University, Furman, Andrew
Abstract/Description
Saul Bellow's Herzog is more than just a story of a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown as a result of his wife's ruthless infidelities. It is a story about the re-affirmation of life in spite of horrible circumstances. Although Bellow is widely recognized as a Jewish author, Herzog is written with a foundation that also focuses on Christian idealogy, a belief that Bellow was introduced to as a young child. Being an ardent admirer of Saul Bellow's work, I was surprised that few critics...
Show moreSaul Bellow's Herzog is more than just a story of a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown as a result of his wife's ruthless infidelities. It is a story about the re-affirmation of life in spite of horrible circumstances. Although Bellow is widely recognized as a Jewish author, Herzog is written with a foundation that also focuses on Christian idealogy, a belief that Bellow was introduced to as a young child. Being an ardent admirer of Saul Bellow's work, I was surprised that few critics have paid close attention to the prolific amount of religious parallels that can be found in his novels. This thesis is a result of my interest in both the Old and New Testament allusions that appear in this novel.
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Date Issued
2002
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12874
Subject Headings
Bellow, Saul--Herzog, Judaism in literature, Christianity in literature
Format
Document (PDF)
I’d rather be a sage than a cyborg: re-theorizing posthumanism through religious wisdom literature
Title
I’d rather be a sage than a cyborg: re-theorizing posthumanism through religious wisdom literature.
Creator
Shaw, Amy, Mason, Julia, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description
The topics of identity and subjectivity are well-trodden paths in posthuman thought, and the trend has been to reduce the self to its material, social, and technoscientific components. Yet the posthuman model of subjectivity—influenced by the tenets of postmodernism—tends to be disabling because it does not focus on the subject’s agency or the possibility of liberation from social tyranny. In this thesis, I use a sampling of what I call “religious wisdom literature”—specifically, the wisdom...
Show moreThe topics of identity and subjectivity are well-trodden paths in posthuman thought, and the trend has been to reduce the self to its material, social, and technoscientific components. Yet the posthuman model of subjectivity—influenced by the tenets of postmodernism—tends to be disabling because it does not focus on the subject’s agency or the possibility of liberation from social tyranny. In this thesis, I use a sampling of what I call “religious wisdom literature”—specifically, the wisdom books of the Old Testament and contemporary Buddhist writings—to challenge the assumption that the self is indistinguishable from the ideologies that produce it. I provide models from religious texts that instead, emphasize critical agency, flexibility, and resistive power. I also suggest that focusing on these qualities may ultimately be useful in the composition classroom, where we can use “self-centered” expressivist techniques (reflective assignments, emotional awareness) to meet the social-epistemic goal of ideological critique. Ultimately, posthumanism, with its emphasis on the construction of subjectivity, is better suited to question strict materialism and inquire into the inspiring possibilities of ancient wisdom.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004060
Subject Headings
Complexity (Philosophy), Order (Philosophy) in literature, Self in literature, Spiritual life (Buddhism), Spiritual life (Judaism), Wisdom literature -- Criticism and interpretation
Format
Document (PDF)
Mosaic Law in William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"
Title
The Mosaic Law in William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice".
Creator
Kahl, Murray., Florida Atlantic University, Collins, Robert A.
Abstract/Description
Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is examined on an allegorical level, with Shylock the Jew portrayed as representing the Mosaic Law, and Antonio the Merchant of Venice portrayed as a Christ figure who represents the New Law. The religious convictions of the era are presented by examining the works of Richard Hooker as representative of his milieu. Traditional religious theology, both Jewish and Christian, is examined to establish a basis for the battle that ensues. Evidence is presented to...
Show moreShakespeare's Merchant of Venice is examined on an allegorical level, with Shylock the Jew portrayed as representing the Mosaic Law, and Antonio the Merchant of Venice portrayed as a Christ figure who represents the New Law. The religious convictions of the era are presented by examining the works of Richard Hooker as representative of his milieu. Traditional religious theology, both Jewish and Christian, is examined to establish a basis for the battle that ensues. Evidence is presented to establish a Jewish presence in England prior to their admission by Oliver Cromwell. This presence is argued to have influenced Shakespeare in his writing and precipitates a battle in which the two opposing philosophies do battle. The sides are carefully drawn and a celestial battle takes place. The allegories are described and then used to define the antagonists in terms that fit their allegorical nature.
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Date Issued
1989
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14521
Subject Headings
Shakespeare, William,--1564-1616--Merchant of Venice, Judaism in literature
Format
Document (PDF)