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Suppression of the Erotic in Modern Hebrew Literature (Perspectives on Translation Series)
Suppression of the Erotic in Modern Hebrew Literature - Perspectives on Translation Series Author:Nitsa Ben-Ari Issues of sexuality, censorship, and selfcensorship in the formation of national and cultural identities are a focus of great interest in contemporary literary research. This is the first work of its kind to study these combined issues in the context of translated and original Hebrew literature. Puritan norms in the literary representation of se... more »x and erotica that formed in pre-state Israel were basically the result of a power struggle over the prevalence of Zionist ideology and the formation of an elitist youth, nicknamed the Sabra. For several decades, a relatively small group of culture shapers dictated an image of sabra puritanism, which original and translated Hebrew literature sought to reflect and express. More by self-censorship than by any obscenity law enforcement, the literary mainstream prohibited "banned books" and cleansed its repertory of explicit erotica, pushing literature about sex or sexuality to the margins.This expurgating trend resulted in continuous impoverishment and petrifaction of entire strata in the Hebrew literary repertory. Translated literature, which could have become a channel for an alternative view on sexuality, remained in the shadows until well into the 1970s. A rebellious awakening in the 1980s and 1990s, however, introduced new norms of erotic presentation, especially by women writers. An insightful and illuminating read, Suppression of the Erotic in Modern Hebrew Literature makes a significant contribution to literary, translation, Judaic, and gender studies.« less