The novel starts off with 3 epigraphs.
An epigraph is a phrase, poem or quote at the beginning of a written piece of work or chapter.
"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I many also have children by her". - Genesis 30:1-3
Jacob asks Rachel whether he is the reason why she can't have children and if he is denying her children "the fruit of his womb". Although Jacob doesn't have any intentions of being mean and horrible he does come across to be selfish. Moreover Jacob asks whether he has the powers to make Rachel pregnant "am I in Gods stead", therefore he is not in control of if and when Rachel becomes and gets pregnant.
Back then it was a patriarchal society and it was seen as normal for men to have sex with their slaves. Rachel is jealous of her sister whom has children and Rachel will go to any extents to get children of her own, even allowing her husband to sleep with the maid.
Moreover the epigraph is from the Bible and the bible clearly quotes " thou shall not commit adultery". Therefore, the quote is contradicting itself by allowing the husband to sleep with his maid. Although Rachel is giving consent to the whole idea it is still seen as wrong due to her husband having sex with another women. This connotes that Rachel is willing to go against the Bible and the ten commandments to get children.
In addition Rachel is using emotional blackmail on Jacob by saying that she will die if he doesn't give her children "Give me children, or else I die". Jacob may feel bad and therefore go an sleep with the maid so that he does not loose his wife.
2. "In the deserts there is not sign that says "thou shall not eat stones" sufi proverb.
This quote connotes that people will not eat stones because they find it wrong however what is considered to be "wrong"?
There is not sign however people see it as unnatural and it is not normal to eat stones.
www sound, detailed and opinionated comment on the Rachel, Jacob text from Genesis. I particularly like your contextual comment regarding the Patriarchal society at the time of the Bible's writing
ReplyDeleteebi more detail can be drawn from the text through deeper analysis and must be related to the themes, or potential themse of the novel. Try also to limit your subjective comments and focus on being objective in analysis.
Also need to do the same with the other two epigraphs and connect all three in your conclusive comments.