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Esther and Hadassah: a Comparative Study of Female Agency

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Esther and Hadassah: a Comparative Study of Female Agency Avondale College ResearchOnline@Avondale Theses Masters Research Theses 12-2018 Esther and Hadassah: A Comparative Study of Female Agency Grace Thevamalar Paulson Avondale College of Higher Education, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://research.avondale.edu.au/theses_masters_research Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Paulson, G. (2018). Esther and Hadassah: A comparative study of female agency (Master's thesis, Avondale College of Higher Education, Cooranbong, Australia). Retrieved from https://research.avondale.edu.au/theses_masters_research/19/ This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at ResearchOnline@Avondale. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses Masters Research by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@Avondale. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ESTHER AND HADASSAH: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FEMALE AGENCY Grace Thevamalar Paulson Bachelor of Applied Arts (Spicer Memorial College) Graduate Diploma in Arts (Massey University) Post Graduate Diploma. Bus. Inf. Systems (Massey University) Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Philosophy Principal Supervisor: Professor Jane Fernandez Associate Supervisor: Dr. Lindsay Morton Avondale College of Higher Education October 2018 i CERTIFICATION Statement of Original Authorship I declare that the work contained in this thesis has not been submitted previously for a degree or diploma at this institution, an Australian or overseas university or any other institution of higher education. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signed Date: 3 December 2018 Statement of Copyright I grant to Avondale College of Higher Education the rights to archive in the College library, and to make available my thesis in whole or in part for study now and in the future. I retain all proprietary rights. I also retain the right to use in future works all or part of this thesis. Signed: Date: 3 December 2018 ii ABSTRACT The intention of this study is to compare two texts separated by thousands of years, in the context of female agency. The modern male-authored text Hadassah: One Night with the King will be compared in the light of 3 models of feminist critique of the biblical Esther regarding female empowerment. This study aims to determine if the discourses within the modern text, Hadassah: One Night with the King positions its protagonists as conforming to one or more of three models established by this study’s reading of the biblical Esther. The three models are Model 1) Esther as a ‘Traditional Female Stereotype’, Model 2) Esther as Subversives, or Model 3) Esther as a ‘Type for the Jewish people’. It also seeks to establish when the representation of Hadassah/Kesselman and/or Vashti in Hadassah: One Night with the King falls outside the three models This study follows a qualitative methodology and literary analysis that identifies and analyses the literary constructs, imagery, structure, settings and relationships in its exploration of female agency through the frame of limitations and enablers, and three analytical models of the Book of Esther. The analysis and conclusions form part of this study. The analysis finds that female agency in Hadassah: One Night with the King is complex, complicated, and, because of its contextual nature, not easily or strictly aligned within a particular model. The analysis indicates that although the primary protagonist does exercise agency in parts of the Scroll narrative of Hadassah One Night with the King, she appears, by the close of the text, to surrender to the stereotype of femininity depicted in representations of the biblical Esther as set out in Model 1 of this thesis. This finding indicates that the stereotypical representations of Esther’s agency have not come very far since biblical times. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is with profound gratitude that I acknowledge my supervisors, Professor Jane Fernandez and Dr. Lindsay Morton for their guidance during my study. Their support and assistance in the selection of this topic, constant encouragement, motivation, reading many versions of my thesis and the time spent with me on this journey have been invaluable. I have learned so much from them. I thank them for their encouragement. This study would not be a possible without them. My sincere thanks also to Associate Professor Daniel Reynaud for his constructive feedback and input into the shaping of this thesis. His love for biblical literature is an inspiration. A note of thanks to Mrs. Tracey Cox for her assistance with cross-checking the references. I would like to acknowledge Avondale College for the opportunity provided to study while working. A special thanks to my husband who has been a constant support and to my family for giving me the time and space to work on my thesis. I thank God who has given me the courage to overcome self-perceptions and appreciate who He has created me to be and the value He has placed on me. All glory be to Him. iv KEY CHARACTERS Esther – Queen Esther from the biblical Book of Esther Hadassah – Hadassah bin Abihail, the adopted daughter of Mordecai (referred to as Hadassah) Kesselman - Hadassah Kesselman, the modern-day bride-to-be (referred to as Kesselman) ben Yuda – Jacob ben Yuda, the husband of Kesselman Jacob – The priest Thesis and Text Chapter Structure Thesis Hadassah: One Night with the King Chapter 3 – The Early Years Chapter 1 – 8 Chapter 4 – Exercising Agency Chapter 9 – 50 Chapter 5 – Loss of Agency Chapter 51 – 52 v vi Table of Contents CERTIFICATION .................................................................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................................... iv KEY CHARACTERS ............................................................................................................................. v INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................... 3 Research Outline ................................................................................................................... 3 Overview of the Texts ........................................................................................................... 4 Research Context .................................................................................................................. 5 Methodology and Limitations ................................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 1 – WHAT IS AGENCY? ..................................................................................................... 9 Definitions - Agency as an Endeavour for Freedom ............................................................... 9 Definitions - Agency as a Construct of the Social Framework .............................................. 10 Enablers and Limitations of Agency .................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2 –DOMINANT READINGS OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER ............................................... 22 Model 1 - Esther as a Traditional Stereotype ........................................................................ 23 Model 2 - Esther as Subversive of Male Gaze and Authority ............................................... 29 Model 3 - Esther as a Type of the Diasporic Jewish People .................................................. 33 CHAPTER 3 – DISCOVERING AGENCY: THE EARLY YEARS ...................................................... 39 Setting the Scene: Kesselman and the Museum .................................................................... 39 Setting the Scene: Hadassah in her Early Years ................................................................... 46 Vashti - The Queen’s Agency .............................................................................................. 52 CHAPTER 4 – EXERCISING AGENCY: COMING OF AGE ............................................................. 55 Hadassah the Adventurer ..................................................................................................... 55 Hadassah the Game Changer ............................................................................................... 60 Hadassah the Prisoner ......................................................................................................... 63 Hadassah the Harlot ............................................................................................................ 65 Hadassah the Avenger ......................................................................................................... 71 CHAPTER 5 – LOSS OF AGENCY: FINAL YEARS .......................................................................... 76 Hadassah the Mentor/Model ................................................................................................ 76 Kesselman the Student .......................................................................................................
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