Ruth

Analytical Essay # 59398

Religion and Theology > The Bible
Women Studies > Historical Figures

Ruth

This paper discusses how Ruth is a biblical portrait of female dignity and grace.

2,524 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

By reading the Bible one may clearly see a lack of female participation, as women are rarely depicted as main characters. This vivid discrimination is due to the patriarchal society in which most Jewish societies functioned during the times of the Old Testament. Women are often depicted as being in the care of a male figure: first, their fathers and then their husbands. The paper points out, however, that in the Book of Ruth, the main characters of the story are women, Ruth and Naomi. It explains that they are not only depicted as two independent souls, but also are seen as determined and intelligent women. They were able to exist without male support and even lift themselves from poverty and an uncertain future to be self-supportive and garner community recognition.

From the Paper:

"The Book of Ruth differs greatly from other biblical stories in that it is hard to place the Book of Ruth in the biblical canon. As Eugene Roop deems, "The Book of Ruth has had almost as much trouble finding its place in the biblical canon as the heroine did to find her place in Bethlehem"(18). Although in the Book of Ruth the dangerous elements of famine and widowhood are present, they are resolved without terror or physical violence. Unlike many other biblical stories from "the days when the judges ruled" (Ruth 1:1), we read of fatal story of Deborah and the Sisera (Judg. 4-5), the exploits of Samson among the Philistines (Judg. 14-16), and the violent revenge of the Levite against Gibeah (Judg. 19-21). Here Roop is right, the Book of Ruth "reads as a story without a villain, life without evil" (16). Compared to the other stories, the world of Ruth seems less dangerous and has its special sideline interpretation. Many interpreters connect Ruth with the era of Nehemiah and Ezra that "urges separation from resident foreigners, seeing them as a danger to purity of faith" (Roop, 20). Some believe the story may have originated in this era as protest literature, objecting to the "anti-alien" perseverance (Roop, 20). Others see the story as a call for fair treatment of the foreigner, stranger, or alien. As such, the story of Ruth becomes a great example that foreigners may prove to be righteous, virtuous, and more than just a good people. In this paper I will examine, Ruth, the main character of the Book of Ruth, as an exceptional model of the perfect immigrant and a model of female loyalty, duty, mercy, goodness, and kindness."