FEMININE IMAGES IN THE WRITINGS OF AMOS OZ

Abstract

This essay explores the portrayal of female protagonists in several novels and short stories by Israel’s most celebrated author Amos Oz. Employing feminist theory, the article argues that often in the Oz canon, the manner by which women characters are depicted can be read as antifeminist and misogynous. By embracing an oppositional reading which goes against the grain of conventional interpretation, the paper seeks to show that the adumbration of the female in an array of Oz texts is closely associated with a pervasive patriarchal praxis that focuses solely on their sexuality. The familiar image of the woman that is uncovered in this analysis demonstrates that in their multiple configurations, Oz’s female principals are driven by libidinal impulses and that such characterization permeates the author’s gender constructs. The article contends that Oz underlines in many of his plots the erotic dimension so much so that it becomes the mainstay for the heroines’ actions and behaviour.