Mesmerizing

When you read tales such as The Red Tent it reminds you why women are so important to this world. It is a story that connects to every woman at some level because at some point in our lives be it as a daughter, mother, wife or a worker we’ve experienced gender related injustice. And most times, we have suffered through it; put on a brave face and lived the day until we are in the quiet corner of our bed where we shed a tear or two to express our helplessness.

Over the years, I’ve had my share of close friends but my pillow was my greatest comfort and as a child I often hugged to it and cried on it while it reassured me that everything would be OK. It sang me a lullaby and cradled me to sleep. We women are uncanny; we derive strength and the power to keep going from unnatural sources. I shudder to think what the world would be without us. Not just from a procreating point of view but because we add the zing to life. We make sure our men develop character, steadfastly supporting them but not once hesitating to chastise them if they are in the wrong.

I really don’t know where I am going with this but this book stirred the woman in me. Adapted from the book of Genesis, The Red Tent tells the story of Dinah with a twist. According to the real version of events, Dinah was assumed raped by her brothers and they went and killed her rapist and essentially destroyed her life with it; to save the family honor. Sound familiar? In those times, a woman raped was looked down and considered an abomination (I pause to think not much has changed) and no one would want her. So Dinah had to live her life in a lot of hatred, although Job later married her.

In the book, she fights for her choices; she fights to find love and peace. She is a modern woman, who has inherited her share of injustice but doesn’t mourn them instead faces them head on. She doesn’t give up her right to live and ploughs through regardless of her father barely remembering her at the time of his death and choosing to bless his sons over the haunted memory of his daughter. That got me thinking, why? Why do we usually do that? Why do we fail to give voice to those we love who have suffered? And the answer probably is because that highlights our weaknesses. In not admitting her, Jacob was inherently not admitting the mistakes he made as a father. He chose to remember the good sons and forget all about the one daughter whose life he had failed to protect and nurture. His greedy sons put their needs before hers (as most men do) and sacrificed the honor of their only sister so they could be “safe”. They sold Joseph so they could inherit their father’s blessings. And all this for what? Earthly possessions? A materialistic life? Sadly, we still haven’t learned any better.

The Red Tent captures you, shows you that despite the gruesome things we women have seen in our lives, we still find reason to rejoice. We suffer the monthly curse but we take pride in being a woman, we suffer the unbearable pain of childbirth but we rejoice at the first sight of the child who caused us so much suffering. We are a proud folk and no matter how hard men and society try to put us down, we will always come back up stronger.