Gender stereotypes in the language of Be my knife by David Grossman

Research on Hebrew and other languages points to a stereotype-based view of gender identities as reflected in language. Some stereotypes related to use of the language and gender reveal that women are more conservative than men and use a more standard version of language. One of the stereotypical claims, which is not always borne out by empirical research, relates to the use of normative and prestigious forms versus nonstandard and vernacular ones. The present article focuses on Be my knife (Grossman, Shetihi Li Hasakin, Hakibutz Hameuhad, 1998), a novel written by the highly acclaimed Israeli author, David Grossman. The book is a classic example of the perpetuation of gender stereotypes, where the author makes clear a distinction between the linguistic features of the novel's main characters, a man and a woman. Not only are the characters themselves portrayed stereotypically, but the linguistic features the author attributes them are determined by gender. While the woman uses prestigious, standard and precise language, both in morpho-phonemic terms and in terms of syntax and discourse, the man generally uses a nonstandard vernacular. This reflects the prejudices Israeli society holds with respect to gender; language and literature are merely the means to emphasize this.