Language:
Hebrew
Pages:
[16] Blatt
,
Illustrationen
,
23,5 x 30.5 cm
Year of publication:
1923
Abstract:
[...] to bring to light the inner meaning of "Ketina Kol-Bo", one of Bialik's literary variations of the Tom Thumb of folklore, and thereby evoke its hidden, heretofore undisclosed message. The analysis also sets out to examine the affinity between the literary figure Ketina Kol-Bo and Tom Thumb, its folkloristic original. It is our opinion that "Ketina Kol-Bo", a prima facie poem for children, is in fact an inherently ironic and apocalyptic satire. The latent theme of this poem is concerned with the incessant attempts made by the People of Israel to elude the responsibility thrust upon them as God's Chosen People and to liberate themselves from their ordained burden, Ketina Kol-Bo being, as it were, their contemporary representative. This struggle, the outcome of which is bound to be disastrous for Ketina, is portrayed through two parallel metaphors: the journey of the chariot and the voyage of the ship. The first is a parody of the exodus from Egypt an the Red Sea crossing, whereas the second parodies the Zionist enterprise in the Land of Israel. The description of the miniature chariot and ship Ketina constructs and of the insects that man them for their "successful" travels, is comprised of intertwining allegoric, ironic and grotesque elements. The poem's explicit associative layer reflects Bialik's criticism of the Zionist movement's secularization, its narcissistic egocentricism, estrangement from the God of Israel and moral deterioration. The poet's profound anxiety for the destiny of his people, a people that shuns its "chosen" status and therefore is on the brink of catastrophe, is at the roots of this apocalyptic satire, presented under the guise of a cheerful, guileless poem for children. Dina Stern http://www.jstor.org/stable/23356283?refreqid=robotstxt-sitemaps:08d84e0bbf7a37c2027997733c8b94f0&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Note:
Bibliografischer Nachweis: Deutsch-jüdische Kinder- und Jugendliteratur von der Haskala bis 1945, Bd. 1, Stuttgart 2002, Titelverzeichnis 249; Inka Bertz, "Eine neue Kunst für ein altes Volk". Die Jüdische Renaissance in Berlin 1900 bis 1924, 1991, S. 54
