The poem is written in trochaic tetrameter “Round her eyes her tresses fell, / Which were blackest none could tell.” Enjambment is used almost in the entire poem such as “And her hat, with shady brim, / Made her tressy forehead dim.” These pauses create curiosity and draw the reader’s attention to the beauty of the lady and the desire of the poet. (Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998), throughout. However, as a comedy, there is rebirth in the end, literally in Ruth’s son that is considered Naomi’s, and figuratively in Naomi, who is redeemed. In this beautiful account, He demonstrates how He will use a person (Ruth) who for all practical purposes, is a foreigner and enemy of the Israelites. In this case, God provides through the גאל, the kinsman redeemer who plays the part of the Messianic figure. Her venues include retreats, special events, an... More, Cracking Old Testament Codes: A Guide to Interpreting the Literary Genres of the Old Testament, The Writer’s Journey: The Mythic Structure for Writers. It is also interesting to note that Ruth’s marriage proposal occurs on the threshing floor, where the grain that provides is created. The fact that it is the two women, Ruth and Naomi, who drive the plot forward, indicates that the Book of Ruth is a woman's story. However, this cannot be confined to mothers only. Ruth recognizes that her life is in Yahweh’s tree, and therefore seeks to join His people. Literature not only presents experience but interprets it. While the family tragedy is surrounded by famine, Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem when the famine has been abated at the beginning of the barley harvest, clueing the reader in to the hope they have. However, in the end, she is recognized as an ancestor of the great King David of Israel. 8 in "Scripture Frames & Framing" (2008), co-authored with Timothy Wilt. Round her eyes her tresses fell, Which were blackest none could tell, But long lashes veiled a light, That had else been all too bright. The legal acts of the Israelites reflect the acts of God. All Rights Reserved. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s (7 May 1927 – 3 April 2013) lack of ties to any one place may account for her objectivity as a writer. There is no internal rhyme. ed., eds., G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, trans. Analysis Of The Book ' The Book Of Ruth ' By Jane Hamilton 1302 Words | 6 Pages. Her beauty surpasses the environmental beauty, as her body is “clasped by the golden light of the morn” and her cheek has an “autumn flush.” The poet then comments on her hair and eyes. “In an initiation story the hero undergoes a series of ordeals as he passes from ignorance and immaturity to social and spiritual adulthood.”21 Ruth’s character, while always exhibiting virtuous character, passes socially to the next level. 3. 1 Ruth 1:1 - in the days when the judges governed: This time indicator places the events of the book of Ruth squarely in the history recorded in the book of Judges. A Literary Analysis of the Book of Ruth. Ruth’s social status as not only a widow but as a Gentile Moabitess brought expectations of both a sinful and helpless character. B. Two key concepts in the book of Ruth can shed light on the themes of the book. Naomi considers herself cursed by God and sees no hope of security. from Columbia and studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum in The aim of this analysis is to consider aspects of the context in which the book of Genesis was written, such as its authorship, recipients, time period of historical events and composition, and its biblical context, which may be useful in understanding the book as a whole. On defining literature, Leland Ryken observes that, Literature does not, for example, discourse about virtue but instead shows a virtuous person acting. 36 Chisholm From Exegesis to Exposition, 226. The universal monomyth contains four elements: romance and anti-romance, tragedy and comedy.10 These categories are evident in Old Testament stories: “In classical literature, and in the literature of the Old Testament itself, the existence of pregeneric [monomyth] plot structure is not only evident, but is intrinsically necessary to the development of that literature.”11Ruth, as a romance, displays the fulfillment of desire and, as a comedy, the upward movement from the unideal to the ideal. and its treatment of Ruth’s theology and purpose are strong. 35 Ruth finds shelter both in the wings of Yahweh (2:12) and in the covering of Boaz (3:9), further associating Boaz’s role with Yahweh’s role (Grant, “Validity of Pregeneric Plot Structure,” 203-04.). Loyal love. Loyal love is an important theme of the book (Hebrew hesed or checed; translated “kindly” and “kindness” in Ruth 1:8; 2:20; and 3:10). 6. the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for her 1988 classic, The Book of Ruth (Shufeldt). The character and function of the Hero should fall to Naomi who has the power to redeem Ruth by bringing her to God’s chosen people. These same categories can be applied to other stories in the Bible to unveil the central message that God wishes to communicate, understood according to their appropriate genre. Finally, literature is an interpretive presentation of experience in an artistic form. The Book of Ruth is called ῾Ρούθ in the Greek Septuagint. The story centers on the life of Ruth, a Moabite woman who married an Israelite living in a foreign country—Moab. at least) that literary analysis of Ruth hardly goes beyond this sort of thing, and that is my main contention. 12. its word plays, inclusios, etc.) It exposes the unbeliever to the loving grace of God and His provision of redemption through Jesus Christ. The tension and tragedy lies in the empty and lonely Naomi. To ignore this aspect of biblical literature is to distort the Bible as a written document.”3 The Book of Ruth, as a story, deserves to be treated as literature in its study. 842. However, her detachment does not prevent her from empathizing with her characters, nor does her rootlessness make her less conscious of the importance of place. A fun and witty analysis of the Bible's The Book of Ruth. While Ruth is the flat character who remains constant, Naomi presents a more complicated character of the Fallen Mentor. 29 A second metaphor used in this musical is of the branch. The purpose of this study is not to explore the book’s many intriguing literary angles, but to consider just its plot structure. The Ordinary World: This stage is understood by the audience as a time of blessing and provision. Ruth and Naomi together sojourn to Bethlehem hoping for, and finding, provision through Ruth’s work of gleaning in the field, through Boaz’s generous gift to Ruth, through Boaz’s redemption of Ruth and Naomi’s field, and finally through Obed, the son who holds the hope for future provision. H. Evan Runner and Elisabeth Wichers Runner (St. Catherines, Ontario: Paideia, 1977), 62. Ideally the set should be presided over by a large tree that blooms at the wedding ceremony. LITERARY ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK OF RUTH PART 2: ON THE ROAD Marc Chagall 1960 Ruth Naomi and Orpah 1Now it came to pass in the days … The action revolves around looking for the “missing piece” and restoring balance.38 The rescue consists of saving from a “death state.”39 Both Naomi and Ruth are in a “death state” in that they have no hope of provision or protection because they are widows and childless. Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 2nd ed. The use of the harvest cycle is also prevalent in Ruth. Ruth: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible Daniel Block Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015 304 pp. It also shows her lack of a fear of Yahweh, Whom she abandons in order to return to her Moabite gods. In my view, its analysis of Ruth’s literary artistry (i.e. And her hat, with shady brim, Made her tressy forehead dim;— Thus she stood amid the stooks, Praising God with sweetest looks:—. Hyperbaton is also employed, which is an unusual word order of the sentence, such as, “Round her eyes her tresses fell.” This creates a startling effect for the readers. The narrator is a master at painting word pictures.”[6] While it can be argued that one purpose of the Book of Ruth is the historical and genealogical transition from the period of the Judges to the time of King David, the overarching purpose and theme of the book of Ruth is to demonstrate the providence and sovereignty of God. The plot of any story revolves around overcoming obstacles. The themes of devotion, kindness, being good to others, and care have been intertwined with love for the lady. Ruth’s character demonstrates both the death-rebirth and the initiation cycles. 40 Vogler, Writer’s Journey, 35. Frequently described as being 'delightful' or 'whimsical', it is regarded as a fine example of a short story with full and complete characters. The Messiah figure is associated with various royal figures in the Old Testament (i.e. Gow has gleaned the best from recent scholarship, although he might have made better use of several important recent studies ( e.g. In Ruth, the obstacles consist of Naomi attempting to dissuade Ruth from coming; Ruth approaching Boaz; and the potential kinsman with first rights. 8. He lists segments of the common adventure as Departure (including the Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Supernatural Aid, The Crossing of the First Threshold, and the Belly of the Whale), the Initiation (i.e. The book begins with a famine but ends with plenty. A presupposition of this study is that the book’s plot structure is comic/monomythic. She lives with her mother May and for a while, her brother Matthew. On her cheek an autumn flush, Deeply ripened;—such a blush In the midst of brown was born, Like red poppies grown with corn. The women in the story act as a Greek chorus, noting Naomi’s return in the beginning and commenting in the end both on Yahweh’s provision for Naomi of a son and on Ruth’s loving-kindness (חסד), which furnished the vehicle for Yahweh’s blessing (ironically). Reward: Boaz promises to seek redemption for Ruth, whether through approaching the nearer kinsman-redeemer or redeeming himself. In the beginning she is known as the Moabitess. Considering the purpose of the book, again, scholars vary widely. 7, ed. Her lashes conceal her eyes “That had else been too bright.” However, the most beautiful thing is that she was praising the Creator and His creativity with her “sweetest looks.” The speaker was so impressed by her beauty that he immediately correlated his praise with an offer to her to share his own home and harvest in return for her praise to God. Cf. Out of love and faithfulness, Ruth chooses to … 10. 1. 33 It is also connected with the legal and social life of Israel. Themes of the book Ruth. Jennifer Rubin Raskas is the Business Development Manager for the Maryland/Israel De-velopment Center. There is a common thread plays and movies). The objection to this kind of literary evaluation is not that it is condensed and offhanded, but that it is so simplistic that it gives a radically wrong impression of the work. The Book of Ruth is another short story written in the interests of internationalism. “Since both the Old and New Testaments are largely written in story form, narrative is the essence of biblical revelation… That makes understanding narrative essential for all interpreters of the Bible.”1 A literary approach is fundamental to understanding the Bible because many of the parts of the Bible are in literary form. 4:4-7), 3. This reveals God’s character in His faithfulness toward His covenant promise of protecting His chosen people, His loving kindness in providing for the helpless widow, and His sovereignty in the surprising twist of using the Moabitess to provide for Naomi.28 The sub-theme focuses on Ruth’s redemption and God’s mercy in grafting the Gentiles into His chosen people for redemption.29 The heart of the story is God’s provision, both in expected ways (providing for Naomi and ultimately Israel through Ruth’s line) and in unexpected ways (providing for Ruth, the Moabitess). 6 Edward F. Campbell, Ruth: A New Translation with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary, The Anchor Bible, vol. 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