Genesis 37-50 as Proto Trauma-Novella Restricted; Files Only

Focht, Caralie (Spring 2020)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/47429b22z?locale=en
Published

Abstract

This study explores the implications of recent scholarship on trauma novels for reading the Bible as trauma literature. In contemporary trauma novels, the echo of a traumatic event in the life of the author resounds in the narrative. Yet the author rarely addresses the traumatic event directly. Instead, writing a trauma novel gives an author and a community of readers an opportunity to address the traumatic event indirectly. Indeed, speaking about trauma indirectly is often the only way one can approach such an experience. In this project, I read the Joseph novella (Genesis 37-50) in light of recent scholarship on contemporary trauma novels. Although some parts of the Hebrew Bible have been read through the lens of trauma theory, the Joseph novella has not. This approach contributes to biblical trauma scholarship by highlighting the many features that the Joseph novella shares with contemporary trauma novels, especially the modes of characterization and the function of symbolism within the narrative. Moreover, the disjunctions in the text typically attributed to redactional layers are consistent with the styles of narration in contemporary trauma novels. Reading Genesis 37-50 as a proto trauma-novella brings important aspects of the story into focus that other ways of reading may obscure. 

Table of Contents

1. Introduction-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

1.A. Thesis--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

1.B. Approaches to the Genre of Gen 37-50------------------------------------------------------3

1.B.1. Background--------------------------------------------------------------------------3

1.B.1.A. Gen 37-50 as Wisdom Literature--------------------------------------4

1.B.1.B. Märchen-Novelle--------------------------------------------------------6

1.B.1.C. Wisdom Court Legend--------------------------------------------------6

1.B.1.D. Novella------------------------------------------------------------------10

1.B.2 Genre Background Summary-----------------------------------------------------11

1.C. The Joseph novella and Trauma Novels---------------------------------------------------12

1.C.1. Author and Audience -------------------------------------------------------------18

1.C.2. Characterization--------------------------------------------------------------------19

1.C.3. Place---------------------------------------------------------------------------------20

1.C.4. Symbolism--------------------------------------------------------------------------21

1.C.4.A. Narration----------------------------------------------------------------22

1.C.4.B. Survival------------------------------------------------------------------23

1.C.4.C. Death---------------------------------------------------------------------24

1.C.4.D. Dreams------------------------------------------------------------------25

1.D. Disjunctions Between Gen 37-50 and Contemporary Trauma Novels----------------26

1.E. Outline of the Project-------------------------------------------------------------------------28

2. Defining Trauma and Review of Biblical Trauma Scholarship--------------------------------31

2.A. Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------31

2.B. Dimensions and Definition of Trauma-----------------------------------------------------32

2.C. Challenges of Defining Trauma-------------------------------------------------------------34

2.C.1. Contextualization------------------------------------------------------------------35

2.C.2. Shifting Language-----------------------------------------------------------------39

2.C.3. Collective vs. Individual Dimensions of Trauma------------------------------41

2.C.3.A Scholars of Individual Trauma----------------------------------------42

2.C.3.B. Scholars of Collective Trauma---------------------------------------45

2.C.3.C. The Overlap Between Individual and Collective Dimensions of Trauma------------------------------48

2.C.4. Telling Trauma---------------------------------------------------------------------50

2.C.5. DSM---------------------------------------------------------------------------------54

2.C.6. Current Definitions of Trauma---------------------------------------------------57

2.C.7. Summary of Defining Trauma---------------------------------------------------59

2.D. Biblical Trauma Scholarship----------------------------------------------------------------59

2.D.A. History of Scholarship------------------------------------------------------------62

2.D.1.A. Dereck Daschke (1999)-----------------------------------------------63

2.D.1.B. Kathleen O’Connor (2002)-------------------------------------------65

2.D.1.C. Gale A. Yee (2003)----------------------------------------------------67

2.D.1.D. Nancy R. Bowen (2010)----------------------------------------------70

2.D.1.E. Kathleen O’Connor (2011)-------------------------------------------72

2.D.1.F. Ruth Poser (2012)------------------------------------------------------74

2.D.1.G. David Janzen (2012)--------------------------------------------------76

2.D.1.H. Brad E. Kelle (2013)--------------------------------------------------78

2.D.1.I. L. Juliana M. Claassens (2013)---------------------------------------80

2.D.1.J. David Carr (2014)------------------------------------------------------82

2.D.1.K. Tiffany Houck-Loomis (2018)---------------------------------------84

2.D.1.L. James W.S. Yansen, Jr. (2019)---------------------------------------86

2.D.1.M. David Janzen (2019)--------------------------------------------------86

2.D.B. Summary of Biblical Trauma Scholarship-------------------------------------88

2.E. Conclusion-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------89

3. Characterization in the Joseph novella-------------------------------------------------------------92

3.A. Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------92

3.B. Characterization-------------------------------------------------------------------------------93

3.B.1. Characterization in the Hebrew Bible-------------------------------------------94

3.B.1.A. Types of Characters---------------------------------------------------94

3.B.1.B. Descriptions and Motivations of Characters-----------------------96

3.B.1.C. When Characters Lie--------------------------------------------------98

3.C. Disjunctions Between Contemporary Trauma Novels and the Joseph novella: Characterization--------------------100

3.D. Characterization in the Joseph novella---------------------------------------------------101

3.D.1. Self-Protection and Self-Preservation-----------------------------------------101

3.D.1.A. Joseph------------------------------------------------------------------104

3.D.1.B. Joseph’s Brothers-----------------------------------------------------108

3.D.2. Persistent Rumination-----------------------------------------------------------110

3.D.2.A. Joseph------------------------------------------------------------------112

3.D.2.B. Joseph’s Brothers-----------------------------------------------------116

3.D.2.C. Joseph’s Father-------------------------------------------------------118

3.D.3. Fractured Views of Self---------------------------------------------------------120

3.D.3.A. Joseph------------------------------------------------------------------125

3.D.4. Limited Healing------------------------------------------------------------------128

3.D.4.1. Joseph------------------------------------------------------------------129

3.D.4.2. Joseph’s Brothers-----------------------------------------------------131

3.D.4.3. Joseph’s Father--------------------------------------------------------132

3.E. Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------------133

4. Place in the Joseph novella---------------------------------------------------------------------------134

4.A. Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------134

4.B. Literary Analysis of Setting in the Hebrew Bible---------------------------------------137

4.C. Place in the Joseph Novella----------------------------------------------------------------140

4.C.1. Canaan as Home------------------------------------------------------------------141

4.C.1.A. Joseph in Canaan-----------------------------------------------------143

4.C.1.B. Joseph’s Family in Canaan------------------------------------------146

4.C.1.C. Summary: Canaan as Home-----------------------------------------148

4.C.2. Egypt as Land of Exile and Asylum-------------------------------------------149

4.C.2.A. Joseph in Egypt-------------------------------------------------------151

4.C.2.B. Joseph’s Family in Egypt--------------------------------------------155

4.C.2.C. Summary of Egypt---------------------------------------------------156

4.C.3. In-Between Places---------------------------------------------------------------157

4.C.3.A. Wandering------------------------------------------------------------157

Focht

4.C.3.A.1. Joseph------------------------------------------------------159

4.C.3.A.2. Joseph’s Father--------------------------------------------160

4.C.3.A.3. Joseph’s Brothers-----------------------------------------161

4.C.3.A.4. Summary: “Wandering”----------------------------------162

4.C.3.B. Pit and Imprisonment------------------------------------------------162

4.C.3.C. Summary: “In-Between Places”------------------------------------163

4.D. Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------164

5. Symbolism in the Joseph novella-------------------------------------------------------------------165

5.A. Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------165

5.B. Disjunctions Between Contemporary Trauma Novels and the Joseph novella: Symbolism----------------------------------166

5.C. Symbolism in the Hebrew Bible-----------------------------------------------------------167

5.D. Narration--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------169

5.D.1. Point of View---------------------------------------------------------------------171

5.D.2. Silence-----------------------------------------------------------------------------178

5.D.3. Unreliable Narrator--------------------------------------------------------------186

5.D.4. Narration Summary--------------------------------------------------------------190

5.E. Survival---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------191

5.E.1. Famine-----------------------------------------------------------------------------194

5.E.2. Inversion of Birth Order---------------------------------------------------------195

5.E.3. Illegitimate Sex-------------------------------------------------------------------197

5.E.4. Survival Summary----------------------------------------------------------------199

5.F. Death-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------200

5.F.1. Ambiguity of Death--------------------------------------------------------------201

5.F.2. Threat of Death-------------------------------------------------------------------203

5.F.3. Deaths and Burials----------------------------------------------------------------205

5.F.4. Death Summary-------------------------------------------------------------------206

5.G. Dreams----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------207

5.H. Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------211

6. Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------213

7. Bibliography--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------222 

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