One thing that caught me off guard while reading the graphic novel as well as the traditional book of Esther was how the wise men reacted to Vashti's refusal in the first place:
16Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
[Copied from BibleGateway.com - NIV]
Since the Book of Esther is of such cultural significance (Purim) I wonder how prevalent these versus are in conversation when family power dynamics are discussed within religious communities (Jewish/Christian/Islamic). I image it might be played up to lend legitimacy to a more traditional family structure that underlines a wife's/daughter's obedience to the male head of household/husband/father.
That, or in some traditions and cultures, this part of the story might be white-washed as it might be considered unpalatable. For example, while cruising YouTube I ran into a 1970s American Protestant (Lutheran specifically) cartoon version of the story that completely skips over Vashti.
You make a very interesting point here. I too wonder how often this book is cited in debates regarding "woman's role" in the world. On the one hand, in Vashti, you have biblical justification for the condemnation of a woman for not following the demands of her husband. On the other hand, in Esther, you have the evidence of the influence a woman can have over an influential husband, which could of course be positively construed to elevate a woman's role, or conversely, (if you have an aversion to the results of her actions) it gives credence to the idea of the evils woman can do...ideas that are certainly prevalent in Muslim societies. The Book of Esther is far more intriguing and potentially influential than I would have thought.
ReplyDeleteOn women/obedience: huge cultural variance worldwide. The notion of wives needing to obey their husbands has a strong parallel in what scholars call the "pseudo-Pauline" [attributed to Paul, probably not written by Paul] epistles of Timothy and Titus..... which is written well after Esther, but, yes, wifely obedience is a theme in many cultures.
ReplyDeleteThat 70s video is awesome and hysterical.Nice find.