The Red Tent

Study Guide

Summary

Prologue and Part One, Chapter 1

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Summary Prologue and Part One, Chapter 1

Diamant uses the first part of The Red Tent, which recounts the memories of Dinah’s mothers,to flesh out the stories of several biblical women. Dinah’s brief but bloody story in the Bible, often referred to as “The Rape of Dinah,” is a one-sided narrative, since Dinah herself never speaks. While the Bible includes ample description of Jacob and his sons, little is known about his wives and their stories. Leah and Rachel, considered his two most important wives, become fully realized characters in the first few chapters, with their shared husband creating an obvious strain on their relationship. The day-to-day lives of the different classes of women living in ancient Iraq, Syria, and Israel are omitted from the Bible, and after embarking on a tremendous amount of research, Diamant attempts to present clearer pictures of their reality. Diamant skillfully create a tangible picture of the life of women in biblical times, weaving in voices of slaves (Werenro), midwives (Inna, Meryt), queens (Re-nefer,) and abused wives (Ruti).