The Risk of Retelling: Gomer-bat-Diblaim, Biblical Retrieval, and the Male Gaze in The Prophet's Wife
Milton Steinberg's posthumously published novel The Prophet's Wife retells the story of the prophet Hosea and his "wife of whoredom," Gomer. To analyze the novel's interpretation of the biblical text, the article first reviews the book of Hosea and outlines the concept of &q...
| Published in: | Biblical interpretation |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
[2019]
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| In: |
Biblical interpretation
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Hosea
/ Hosea 784 BC/725
/ Gomer Biblical character
/ Reception
/ Steinberg, Milton 1903-1950
/ Novel
/ Recounting
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| IxTheo Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Retrieval
B Hosea B Prophets B male gaze B Reception B Gomer B biblical retellings |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Milton Steinberg's posthumously published novel The Prophet's Wife retells the story of the prophet Hosea and his "wife of whoredom," Gomer. To analyze the novel's interpretation of the biblical text, the article first reviews the book of Hosea and outlines the concept of "retrieval" in biblical retellings (that is, the restoration of characters overlooked in the Bible). Because Steinberg retrieves Gomer by drawing upon language of sight, body, and beauty, the article turns to the concept of the "male gaze" from film studies. Using this concept, the article examines several key moments of retrieval from the novel, in which Gomer is framed as a beautiful object for male eyes to appraise. What becomes clear is that Gomer's retrieval in The Prophet's Wife paradoxically results in her increased exposure to the male gaze. The article culminates in an exploration of this risk, possibly inherent in biblical retellings that retrieve female figures. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5152 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Biblical interpretation
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685152-00273P07 |