The omitted title in 'At the Outset of the Day': Agnon's perception of his role as a writer
My aim in this article is to analyse Agnon's story 'At the Outset of the Day' in an attempt to unravel a hermeneutical riddle that has not yet been settled. The main question driving the analysis, and which gives rise to additional questions, is in what way does revealing the title of...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Liverpool University Press
[2018]
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| In: |
Journal of Jewish studies
Year: 2018, Volume: 69, Issue: 1, Pages: 134-152 |
| Further subjects: | B
Jewish literature
B Hermeneutics B Jewish authors B Historical linguistics B Manuscripts |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | My aim in this article is to analyse Agnon's story 'At the Outset of the Day' in an attempt to unravel a hermeneutical riddle that has not yet been settled. The main question driving the analysis, and which gives rise to additional questions, is in what way does revealing the title of the book, which the narrator identifies by saying '[i]t was the book that I had written', contribute to our understanding of Agnon's perception of his role as a writer? This study is based on a synchronic and diachronic reading of Agnon's story. A diachronic analysis of the text's five published versions and two handwritten manuscripts serves to reveal the title of the text alluded to in the story. A synchronic analysis reveals major themes in Agnon's work that are directly related to the surreptitious title of the mentioned book, as well as to its mysterious omission. The comprehensive picture that emerges from the convergence of the synchronic and diachronic readings leads to a clearer understanding of Agnon's perception of his role as a writer. |
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| ISSN: | 2056-6689 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Jewish studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.18647/3354/jjs-2018 |