The Sad Lot of Women in Ukrainian and Yiddish Folksongs

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The Sad Lot of Women in Ukrainian and Yiddish Folksongs

Robert A. Rothstein

This chapter is part of: Leonard H. Ehrlich et al. 2004. Textures and Meanings: Thirty Years of Judaic Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Description
Robert Rothstein’s comparative approach brings literary analysis to bear on the social implications of folksongs. Examining the similarities and differences between Ukrainian and Yiddish folksongs about the sad lot of women, Rothstein illustrates the plight of the daughter who has been separated from her biological family by marriage, and has become subject to the criticism, or worse, of her mother-in-law and her surrogate family. Rothstein classifies the songs by thematic groups and gives examples of the Ukrainian and Yiddish variations of their basic motifs. In the Yiddish versions, for example, the mother-inlaw does not teach her son to punish his wife, as in the Ukrainian songs. Rothstein also indicates how some songs were parodied and how the Ukrainian songs also record resistance to familial oppression. His analysis can be read as a contribution to our understanding of family dynamics in patriarchal cultures.

Description

Robert Rothstein’s comparative approach brings literary analysis to bear on the social implications of folksongs. Examining the similarities and differences between Ukrainian and Yiddish folksongs about the sad lot of women, Rothstein illustrates the plight of the daughter who has been separated from her biological family by marriage, and has become subject to the criticism, or worse, of her mother-in-law and her surrogate family. Rothstein classifies the songs by thematic groups and gives examples of the Ukrainian and Yiddish variations of their basic motifs. In the Yiddish versions, for example, the mother-inlaw does not teach her son to punish his wife, as in the Ukrainian songs. Rothstein also indicates how some songs were parodied and how the Ukrainian songs also record resistance to familial oppression. His analysis can be read as a contribution to our understanding of family dynamics in patriarchal cultures.

Details

Published	Published By
Aug. 1, 2004	University of Massachusetts Amherst
Citation
Rothstein R. 2004. The Sad Lot of Women in Ukrainian and Yiddish Folksongs. In Leonard H. Ehrlich et al. 2004. Textures and Meanings: Thirty Years of Judaic Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst