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Jill Scott
SSHRC Aurora Prize
In a world where tragedy is too quickly followed by retaliation and revenge,
Jill Scott is looking for a little forgiveness.
The Queen’s University professor of German studies and winner of
the 2005 SSHRC Aurora Prize is analyzing 20th and 21st
century literature, film and photography to explore whether forgiveness
still exists in a post-9/11 society obsessed with loss and wrongdoing.
“We hear a lot about memorials, monuments and mourning these days,”
says Scott. “But, I want to know whether forgiveness has a place
in all this. Looking at how forgiveness is dealt with in fiction and poetry
gives us a unique insight into how we—as a society—may be
able to move beyond the current cycle of suffering and revenge.”
While still just beginning her career, Scott’s research is at the
cutting edge of the humanities. By combining fields such as comparative
literature and German studies with feminist theory, history and psychology,
she unearths original ideas and timely topics that are just as relevant
to popular audiences as they are to the academic community.
Her latest book, Electra after Freud: Myth and Culture, published
by Cornell University Press, investigates the psychological connection
between the re-emergence of the violent Greek myth of Electra in modern
poetry, drama and literature, and the appalling violence witnessed during
the Holocaust and other atrocities of the past century.
Scott’s innovative research is quickly making her a sought-after
speaker and guest lecturer, and her current work on forgiveness is sure
to make an impact far beyond the halls of academia.