History 283/JWST 235: Assignment 1

A 3-5 page review of Solomon Maimon's Autobiography. (An abbreviated version of the book is available here. If you didn't manage to buy a copy of the assigned version before the book store ran out, you can use this but then make sure you go over the fuller text [including the Introduction] in McKeldin where several copies are available at the Reserve Desk.) Your paper is due in class on March1. Please submit two copies.

Your analysis should include discussions of:
a) Maimon’s background and life history. (Don’t just summarize the book. What salient factors make his life story significant for our course? What does the book tell us about Jewish life in eastern and western Europe at this time?)
b) Maimon’s intended audience. (For whom did he write? In what language?)
c) Maimon’s agenda in writing the book. (What was he trying to argue?)
d) How convincing are his stories?
At the end, you might want to ask yourselves whether or not you like Maimon. That is not an appropriate theme for your paper, but thinking about the reasons for your personal reactions may help you to construct a better argument about the man, his work, and his times.
Feel free to cite other documents and books. However, this is not required for the paper.
Remember to follow the rules of academic style. See especially chapter 4 of the recommended A Pocket Guide to Writing in History and the sections on MLA and Chicago-Style Papers in A Pocket Style Manual. [I personally prefer Chicago style and urge you to learn its conventions. MLA is acceptable.]