The Jew's Body

by Sander L. Gilman

Drawing on a wealth of medical and historical materials, Sander Gilman sketches details of the anti-Semitic rhetoric about the Jewish body and mind, including medical and popular depictions of the Jewish voice, feet, and nose. Case studies illustrate how Jews have responded to such public misconceptions as the myth of the cloven foot and Jewish flat-footedness, the proposed link between the Jewish mind and hysteria, and the Victorians' irrational connection between Jews and prostitutes. Gilman is especially concerned with the role of psychoanalysis in the construction of anti-Semitism, examining Freud's attitude towards his own Jewishness and its effect on his theories, as well as the supposed "objectiveness" of psychiatrists and social scientists.

Genres: Cultural, Theory, Judaism

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Sander L. Gilman is an American cultural and literary historian. He is known for his contributions to Jewish studies and the history of medicine. He is the author or editor of over ninety books. Gilman's focus is on medicine and the echoes of its rhetoric in social and political discourse.

Reviews

[Elida H · Rating 3 out of 5]

booooringggg, ok just kidding this was only a little. it was interesting, but honestly written way too academically for me 🫠 i think if i annotated and took notes i could have understood more, but i simply do not want to do that for non school books at the moment. honestly just pretty confused rn, but has an interesting base.!

[stella hofferman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like this was fine I had to read it for my thesis

[Cara Ungar-Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

gilman theorizes the emodiment of jewish ethnicity, religiosity and culture--or at least he helps explain the damage that such embodiment has created and the antisemitism it has both contributed to and reflects