Amos Oz’s In the Land of Israel:
A Critical Academic Analysis Amos Oz is typically revered as Israel’s most famous author, having written many fiction and non-fiction books and short stories about Israel, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, the Middle East, and the world. This Ben Gurion University of the Negev Professor of Literature has shaped the way Israelis view themselves and how others view them and one of his most powerful books that does this is In the Land of Israel. The Land of Israel is a series of vignettes about Oz’s travels throughout Israel and the West Bank and portrays the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the perspectives of individuals. Overall, Oz’s book is a success due to its specific analyses, unbiased and open-minded perspective …show more content…
One prominent example of this is in a chapter titled “The Finger of God.” This is just one of many examples of Oz’s creative writing abilities being able to engage readers in his texts. On page 59, he writes “the Prophet Amos speaks, Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountains of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.” Another example is in “The Tender Among You, And Very Delicate.” In the middle of page 90, Oz writes “We are sitting on the porch of Z.’s pleasant farmhouse in one of the veteran farming villages, looking westward at the sunset that burns between the crests of clouds and lights up the horizon in dim fires of citron and purple and flickering gray.” These are just two examples of many of how Oz utilizes an artistic style of writing not normally seen in most academic contexts. Some would criticize this style of writing as professional, but those criticisms depend on one’s philosophical leanings about what should be considered …show more content…
Originally published in 1993, the book is long overdue for a re-write. This update could consider some of the aforementioned criticisms and should do so for purposes of historical accuracy. Due to age, his book leaves out many crucial events in the history of the Arab/ Israeli Conflict such as the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War and Israel’s reaction to the 2015 Iranian Nuclear Deal. Conclusively, Amos Oz’s The Land of Israel is an important and engaging piece of scholarship for understanding the Israeli/ Arab Conflict due to its careful attention to details, open-mindedness on controversial topics, and creative authorship. However, the book lacks in scope of what it covers and its age. Hopefully, these issues will be released with future
A Critical Academic Analysis Amos Oz is typically revered as Israel’s most famous author, having written many fiction and non-fiction books and short stories about Israel, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, the Middle East, and the world. This Ben Gurion University of the Negev Professor of Literature has shaped the way Israelis view themselves and how others view them and one of his most powerful books that does this is In the Land of Israel. The Land of Israel is a series of vignettes about Oz’s travels throughout Israel and the West Bank and portrays the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the perspectives of individuals. Overall, Oz’s book is a success due to its specific analyses, unbiased and open-minded perspective …show more content…
One prominent example of this is in a chapter titled “The Finger of God.” This is just one of many examples of Oz’s creative writing abilities being able to engage readers in his texts. On page 59, he writes “the Prophet Amos speaks, Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountains of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.” Another example is in “The Tender Among You, And Very Delicate.” In the middle of page 90, Oz writes “We are sitting on the porch of Z.’s pleasant farmhouse in one of the veteran farming villages, looking westward at the sunset that burns between the crests of clouds and lights up the horizon in dim fires of citron and purple and flickering gray.” These are just two examples of many of how Oz utilizes an artistic style of writing not normally seen in most academic contexts. Some would criticize this style of writing as professional, but those criticisms depend on one’s philosophical leanings about what should be considered …show more content…
Originally published in 1993, the book is long overdue for a re-write. This update could consider some of the aforementioned criticisms and should do so for purposes of historical accuracy. Due to age, his book leaves out many crucial events in the history of the Arab/ Israeli Conflict such as the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War and Israel’s reaction to the 2015 Iranian Nuclear Deal. Conclusively, Amos Oz’s The Land of Israel is an important and engaging piece of scholarship for understanding the Israeli/ Arab Conflict due to its careful attention to details, open-mindedness on controversial topics, and creative authorship. However, the book lacks in scope of what it covers and its age. Hopefully, these issues will be released with future