Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The book of esther essay
The book of esther essay
The book of esther essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The book of esther essay
The book of Esther is full of mysteries that has grasped the attention of Biblical scholars and audiences throughout ages and still presents some challenges to the contemporary audiences. It is important to understand the purpose and theme of the book in order to better understand the text in its context. Many Christian scholars and audiences’ alike eisegesis the text instead of using exegesis therefore there have been many misconceptions regarding Esther. The book of Esther is a very important book for it is the only book in the bible to be without the name of God in its entire text. Though there is no reference to God or Torah in the text does not necessarily mean that God is not revealed through circumstances and challenges faced by His people the Israelites. The purpose of the book of Esther is to keep alive the Feast of Purim’s celebratory tradition of their forefathers, and to give a historical background for the reason and celebration of Purim. Esther exhorts its audiences that God is in control even if the situation seems impossible. The text reveals that God is above fate, coincidences and situations. Esther is read during the Feast of Purim by the Jewish populace to honour and remember the joy of the victory of their forefathers over their oppressors.
The story of Esther is a historical account regarding the Jews who stayed in Persia, even though the “Edict of Cyrus” from 539 B.C., allowed them to return to their respective homeland. An event in the Persian city of Susa threatens the very existence of the Jewish populace, calling into question the faithfulness, redemptive act and promise of God towards His people. The book of Esther juggles the question whether the Jewish populace who are under Haman’s persecution woul...
... middle of paper ...
... Esther reveals that God is in control and He uses various means to reveal Himself as the protector and deliverer of Israel without any need for human help. There are various purposes for the book of Esther; (1) to provide a historical motive for the commencement and perpetual celebration or observation of the Feast of Purim (2) to celebrate the victory of the Jews over their ongoing struggle against their enemies and near extermination because of Haman, (3) and to encourage the Jewish populace everywhere what has befallen to them and how they were delivered which was to be used to exhort the Jews to put their trust on God’s faithfulness for their welfare and preservation. Esther is an important book of the Bible and it has relevant message that can still inspire and teach the contemporary world on the faithfulness of God over His people be they Jews or Christians.
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
...es these primitive standards, she becomes melancholy because she does not attune into the gender roles of women, which particularly focus on marriage, maternity, and domesticity. Like other nineteen year old women, Esther has many goals and ambitions in her life. Nevertheless, Esther is disparaged by society’s blunt roles created for women. Although she experiences a tremendous psychological journey, she is able to liberate herself from society’s suffocating constraints. Esther is an excellent inspiration for women who are also currently battling with society’s degrading stereotypes. She is a persistent woman who perseveres to accomplish more than being a stay at home mother. Thus, Esther is a voice for women who are trying to abolish the airless conformism that is prevalent in 1950’s society.
...ht and the damnation of the Children of Darkness. Much like the eschatological traits found in John, this message is one of hope and perseverance. Where John emphasizes the role of hope for the near future in which salvation was within reach, the War Scroll focuses on perseverance in the hope for the dawning of the battle between the Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness culminating in the abolition of evil and dualism. These thematic parallels are of significant value to the understanding of the influence of the community at Qumran on the author of the Fourth Gospel; so impressive are these parallels that they can not simply be attributed to the concept of a common Jewish milieu of late Second Temple Judaism. In eschatological terms, the corresponding ideals of the two communities are suggestive of a Johannine author who was influenced by the society at Qumran.
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives and to understand the significance Rachel's life had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapter titled “Shul” and “School” next to each other with each giving a view of the problems they faced in school. Here both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassm...
Esther was a woman of principle who displayed great hope in a highly patriarchal period. Despite being a woman in a time where women were marginalized, she was able rise to a position of power and save her people from annihilation. She did this through the use of her beauty, her wits and her courage, attributes that at that time were greatly valued in a woman. As a female her story has much to offer to women of any faith, but particularly to a Jewish Women. Though her historical circumstances were very different
In the end of the novel, Esther at last, comes to terms with reality. She has got to stop living her life according to what others expect of her. She needs to start living her life for “her”. After Joan commits suicide, Esther believes that unless she turns her life around, she will also commit suicide. Esther saw so much of herself in Joan, that when Joan ended her life she was frightened that she would follow in her footsteps, due to the fact that she had throughout the entire novel. Once Joan was gone, Esther was truly free. The part of Joan that was reflected in Esther vanished. The “bell jar” that had been suffocating her was finally lifted.
Esther is cared for by two other woman, inferring she is a person of goodwill and people care for her. Ahsauerus is viewed as a man who is wrong, and immoral based on his clothing, posture, and facial expression. The relationship between the two leaves the viewer sympathizing for Esther as she is seen in a fragile state. Gentileschi is able to capture the agony of Esther by using different techniques and elements of art and constructs a painting that shows a
Like most young adults, Esther, a nineteen-year old college student, also struggles with choosing her career after college due to the suppressed social conditions for women and her lack of confidence about herself. In the chapter seven, she adds up things she is not good at. Plath employs symbolism to demonstrate what Esther is not confident about. She cannot cook unlike her grandmother and mother. As cooking represents domestic work and women were supposed to do housework especially at this time, she expresses her uncertainty about being a good wife and mother. Also, she does not know shorthand, which signifies a practical job. Esther mentions that her mother has kept telling her that she needs to learn shorthand to get a job despite having a bachelor’s degree in English as women had difficulty in succeeding as professionals in their careers during the time. As a widow raising two children, her mother has to deal with family finances. Therefore, her mother emphasizes a practical standpoint in terms of ca...
The first person that illustrated the theme of the book was Esther’s grandmother Reisa. Reisa showed this by always keeping her pride and her dignity even the toughest of times, which helped her and her family move on. For instance, even when they were forced to live on these camps she would always try to look her best. She always wore a silk dress and did her cuticles. In addition, she also illustrates theme by caring for her families even in the toughest of time by keeping them together and raising their spirits. For instance, when Esther lost the rubbles her mother gave she said, “She is only twelve years old, she helps keep house like a little old woman, she studies like a Talmudic scholar, she carries bricks back and forth. No. Enough is already too much. Esther, there is nothing more you can do that I will permit you to do. Just do well at school, that’s all I ask. The way things are you will need every drop of education you can get. For the rest, you leave the rubles to me.” That is how Reisa illustrated the theme of the book by maintaining her appearance and by caring for her family.
The book of Esther tells of a courageous young woman who uses her mind to please God. She becomes the wife of a great king and allows for protection of her own people, the Jews. Esther is a great role model for women of modern day times because of her strength, nobility, and honesty. She portrays a woman with power that most women of that day did not have. The story of Esther has empowered women of all backgrounds and will continue to do so well into the future.
Throughout the novel, her mother has contributed to Esther`s problems. From Esther`s point of view, consequences of her mother's actions have lead to further problems for her. It was her mother who denied Esther the right to go to her father's funeral:
The woman is given an episiotomy and begins to bleed heavily, and so the connection between birth and blood is created. “I heard the scissors close on the woman’s skin like cloth and the blood began to run down – a fierce, bright red. Then all at once the baby seemed to pop out…” (66). Though Esther isn’t supremely off-put by this gory scene, it does seem to draw the relationship between birth and transformation with blood and pain. The woman in labor is more or less disregarded by her male doctors, and Buddy even goes so far as to say that “the woman was on a drug that would make her forget she’d had any pain and that when she swore and groaned she really didn’t know what she was doing because she was in a kind of twilight sleep” (66). This happenstance is also significant because it represents the lack of empathy that traditional (patriarchal) values hold for the female experience. Later this same chapter, Buddy exposes himself to Esther and she expresses feeling depressed about it, asking him about his virginity immediately afterward. He reveals that he slept with a woman multiple times, and Esther feels that he is a hypocrite. This entire chapter begins a turning point for Esther’s views on traditional womanhood and her position in the gender
The beginning of the novel introduces the reader to Esther O'Malley Robertson as the last of a family of extreme women. She is sitting in her home, remembering a story that her grandmother told her a long time ago. Esther is the first character that the reader is introduced to, but we do not really understand who she is until the end of the story. Esther's main struggle is dealing with her home on Loughbreeze Beach being torn down, and trying to figure out the mysteries of her family's past.
At the end of the novel, Esther finally see’s a light at the end of the tunnel. She finally realizes that there is hope for her to become healthy again. Once Esther realizes that she will not always feel as bad as she does, she also comes to the conclusion that all the negativity and questioning in her life have made her into the person she has become. Esther finally realizes what her true identity is and she is okay with who she has become.
The book of Esther tells the faithfulness of one woman and her uncle. It is only one of two books that contain the heroism and bravery of a woman heroine. The story of Esther accomplishes two profound things, the first: “To demonstrate God’s providential care of his people, even those outside the land of Israel, and 2) to commend the observance of the feast of Purim by relating how it originated” (Breneman 289).Unlike the rest of the Bible the story of Esther does not directly state or talk about God, but instead shows God’s plans for all of our lives and how in all frightening moments of life, He remains faithful to those who trust and have faith in Him. “In spite of the omission of any name for deity, there is no other book in all the bible where God is more evident, working behind the scenes, than in this book” (Willmington 200). In order to understand who Esther was as a woman and her significance in the history of the Jews, we must first examine the circumstances and other individuals that impacted the events leading up to and after Esther became queen.