Sept 3—Background to Short Story

Key Term: Mimesis: Imitation—Art or Literature—concept that the work represents something else that is “real”—representational art

1.    “The dog walks down the street.” 

a.     Picture dog walking down the street

b.    Want to know more about it—information to make this “real”

c.     Nobody pictured Cerberus walking down Lonely Street.

Book of Ruth (900-500 BCE)

Pre-exilic or post-exilic

1)    An oral story that got written down

a.     Repetition of names

b.    Repetition of actions

c.     Incremental repetition in narrative (repeated lines or oral formulae that help one remember and tell tale—Goldilocks example)

d.    Initial problem: Naomi left with her two daughters-in-law in Moab—patriarchal world (where do the women fit in?)  Story is about role of women, the power and value of women (lost their place in society)

e.     Exposition and dialogue/scene (Exposition—literally exposes” the background—often third person that provides information about the story and provides the necessary details, plot, characterization, to get things going)—takes place in a generalized present usually regarding past events; dialogue/scene—dramatized in “real-time”—ongoing event;

f.       Problem of exposition—the problem of audience—differences in culture, language, gender, etc.

g.     “They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.”  Sons married out of culture—not marrying Hebrew/Israelite women (marrying “enemies”)

h.    Dialogue/scene—provides character: what kind of person is Naomi: kind, compassionate, wise about cultures/roles, the daughters-in-law love Naomi and also compassionate and aware of how grave the situation is for her;

i.       Has the Lord “gone out against Naomi”?  An outcast from the tribe? 

j.       Ruth vs. Orpah; foil character (antithesis or opposite to main character—to highlight some aspect or value) Ruth is more devoted, loyalty, has character beyond the “emotional” tug, fortitude, faith