There is a huge focus on sexual awakening, menstruation, womanhood and the entry into womanhood, and fertility in general. In theory, the red tent is a noble project, an attempt to give women a voice. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of. The red tent of the title refers to the tent the women of the tribe remain in while experiencing their time of the. Men got the whole bible, and all women got was this red tent. It is based on a story in the bible, but there isnt much information there. Minnie driver, rebecca ferguson and morena baccarin in the red tent. From the highly acclaimed and bestselling novel, the red tent will premiere a twonight miniseries event december 7 and 8 at 9 p. The red tent 20th anniversary edition ebook by anita. With equal skill and passion, sandra hack polaski unravels the biblical story of leah, rachel, zilpah, bilhah, and leahs daughter dinah, probing aspects of the red tent that give us insight into the text and into the lives of women in the ancient near east. But hey, check out our guide to the bible if youre into that.
The red tent by anita diamant in the trade paperback softcover edition. What part of the bible does the red tent come from. The lifetime adaptation of anita diamants novel about dinah departs. They were secluded from men and younger girls and older women would attend to the daily chores. And it is with this spirit that the red tent movement has flourished as a global phenomenon. Dinah, the narrator, opens the red tent by introducing herself and explaining that she is reciting the memories of her life and her mothers livesbecause without a daughter to tell the story, a womans history does not live on. The oldest story of all could never seem more original, more true. In the bible her fate is merely hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the verses of the book of genesis that deal with jacob and his dozen sons. Some critics, mainly devout jewish and christian scholars, believe diamant essentially blasphemes against the bible in her version of dinahs life, changing basic elements of the stories of jacob and his wives and presenting leah. The red tent is very loosely based on the story of dinah in genesis, and it is a book that is very easy to read. The red tent by diamant, anita and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. She is a minor character in the bible, but the author has broadened her story. With dinahs help, womens histories are traced matrilineally.
Ben bovas book is fun, but not always the most historically accurate. The red tent by anita diamant 1997 her name is dinah. Diamant filled in details from her own imagination to make a good. Displeased at how the prince treated their sister, her brothers simeon spelled simon in the book and levi treacherously tell the shechemites that all will be. The red tent expands on the story of dinah, as she explains in the book and movie that it was muted by the hundreds of men surrounding her. The rape of dinah genesis, chapter 34 was recounted not by dinah, but by her brothers. The books title refers to the tent in which women of jacobs tribe must, according to the ancient law, take. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, dinah. Now, for the first time, this sweeping saga, which has struck a chord with so many modernday women, comes to life as a much. The novel has sold millions of copies around the world and was. Most women have heard of the red tent because they read the book. The red tent film is not affiliated in any way with anita diamants book of the same name.
The concept of a red tent, also known as a moon lodge, menstrual hut or dark moon meeting, was brought back into mainstream popular culture by the 1997 novel the red tent by anita diamant. Lifetime brings the red tent to life by angela guzman l. Dinah focuses initially on the stories of her mothers, the four wives of jacobleah, rachel, zilpah, and bilhahand how they come to be married to the same man. The red tent is a tale that takes place during the times of the. The red tent inspired a generation of jewish feminists j. In chapter 34 of the book of genesis, dinahs tale is a short, horrific detour in the familiar narrative of jacob and joseph. The biblical story of dinah has often been overlooked, until anita diamants the red tent st. The story behind the red tent the red tent drama channel. The red tent is a faithful dramatization of anita diamants 1997 book, in which diamant took a minor character from the bible and filled in the story the bible didnt tell. Take our free the red tent quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. And while many changes and additions are made in the novel and miniseries, the origin of dinahs story in the red tent was based on the bibles book of genesis. Simon and levi, two of her brothers, avenge dinah by killing all the men in the city.
The red tent is very loosely based on the story of dinah in genesis, and it is a. The red tent, based on the bestselling novel by anita diamant, is billed as an epic, sweeping, historical story and boasts an allstar cast. It was also where they would go when giving birth or tending to the sick. Told in dinahs voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient. Through dinahs eyes we see women come of age, begin menstruating, fall in. The red tent is a fictional yet thoroughly researched firstperson account of the life of dinah, the only daughter of biblical patriarch jacob who is more famous for having twelve sons.
The red tent by anita diamant tells the story of the biblical character dinah, jacobs daughter and josephs sister. Dinah has heard the history of how her mothers fell in love with the same man countless times and recounts her personalized version of the story. The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. A summary of prologue and part one, chapter 1 in anita diamants the red tent. The book also looks at the secrets of women, their private conversations, feelings, superstitions and rituals, kept sacred from the men in the privacy of the red tent, and childbirth itself too, a private process of pain, fear and delight dealt with only by women. As in all true love stories, they become deeply devoted to each other. Top historian reveals the truth behind 2,700yearold bible story of. The red tent by anita diamant about the book the red tenttells the littleknown biblical story of dinah, daughter of the patriarch jacob and his wife, leah.
Told in dinahs voice, the red tent reveals the traditions of ancient womanhood and family honour. She ends up making a few more friends, but the gist of it is that the sons of. The red tent by anita diamant retells the story of dinah, which is found in the biblical book of genesis, chapter 34. It is a firstperson narrative that tells the story of dinah, daughter of jacob and leah, sister of joseph. The red tent has been quite controversial, because its narrative adapts the biblical story of jacobs family. The red tent is a novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 by wyatt books for st.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the red tent and what it means. The story says that dinah was raped by an egyptian prince. The book it is important to define what the red tent is. The red tent is indeed inspired by a chapter from genesis, the first book of the. The red tent by anita diamant 2014, paperback, anniversary. How the red tent invented a new kind of fiction the times of israel. You asked about the historical accuracy of the red tent retreat for women. The red tent by anita diamant 1998, paperback, revised. Diamant, the books author, has faced accusations of blasphemy for her imaginative departure from the events of genesis 34. This chapter tells of dinah, the daughter of the patriarch jacob, who according to the most common interpretation of the text is abducted and violated by a prince. In the bible, dinahs story is only briefly mentioned. Yes, the people in the bible were real people with varied flaws and gifts, but i.
The red tent was novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 that gave us a story of women who come together in a menstrual hut, known as the red tent. First and foremost, the red tent 1997 is a novel by anita diamant that retells the biblical rape story of dinah. The red tent tells the littleknown biblical story of dinah, daughter of the patriarch jacob and his wife, leah. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Rather than using an unnamed thirdperson narrator, diamant utilizes a figure immersed in the stories recounted in the red tent.
The red tent was the place where women would gather when they were menstruating. In the surprising bestselling book, the red tent by anita diamant. Anyway, in genesis, dinahs brothers basically save her by murdering the men of shechem, and they bring her back to camp where they protect her. In many ways the red tent is a very female very feminist novel, the red tent itself being the place the women retreated to from the general family camp whilst they bled at the new moon. And itll help you get a handle on the red tent anyway, the red tent is all about a little lady called dinah.