Characters
Dinah
Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob, is the narrator of The Red Tent. In her early years, Dinah is the playmate of her milk-brother Joseph, but as soon as the two are old enough for chores, Dinah is taken into the women’s circle and is bound by the rituals and customs of the red tent. Dinah tries to please her mother, Leah, but she is a clumsy girl. She seeks the comfort of her aunts and keeps her eyes open and her mouth closed so she can learn the ways of the women’s world. As she gets older, she craves entry into womanhood, and she accepts love when it comes her way through the Shechemite prince Shalem. Dinah proves the strength of her character when she curses all the men in her family for allowing her brothers Simon and Levi to murder the men in Shechem. After moving to Egypt, Dinah accepts the life that has come to her and tries to keep out of people’s way. She is grateful when she once again finds love and family in the Valley of the Kings.
Leah
Dinah’s birth mother, Leah is intelligent, practiced, and arrogant. She was shunned by others since her birth because she was born with one eye green, the other blue, but she is immediately attracted to Jacob, who maintains her gaze. Leah is tall, shapely, and strong, so Jacob does not turn her away when he realizes that the family has swapped Rachel for Leah under the bridal robes. Once in the bridal tent, Leah does not fear intimacy, and she learns the secrets of her body while with Jacob. But when the bridal week is over and she must share her husband with her spoiled little sister, Leah is jealous and busies herself with the care of Laban’s camp, steering clear of Rachel. Over the years, Leah remains Jacob’s confidante, and he consults her on matters of the home. She proudly bears him seven sons, and this earns her honor. But she rejoices in the birth of her daughter Dinah and teaches her the ways of women.
Rachel
The favored wife of Jacob, Rachel is an uncontested beauty in Haran. Rachel’s mother, Huta, dies giving birth to her, and Laban’s first wife, Adah, gladly raises the child as her own. Rachel is a living wonder to all, and Dinah says that her aunt carries the smell of fresh, sweet water as perfume wherever she goes. But for all her beauty, Rachel is spoiled and jealous, and she demands attention from others around her. It seems that the gods do not shine on Rachel for her ways; for many years, she remains childless, suffering several miscarriages. Rachel visits the midwife Inna and tries every trick and drinks every potion to aid her conception, but she remains barren. Through her visits, Rachel learns Inna’s practice, and soon she assists Inna in deliveries and her name is well known in the lands surrounding Haran. Eventually, Rachel is rewarded and she gives birth to Joseph and later Benjamin, the youngest of Jacob’s sons.
Zilpah
The fourth wife of Jacob, Zilpah reluctantly attends Jacob’s bed while the other women are pregnant, nursing, and recovering. Zilpah is a lover of all that is feminine, and she praises the moon and the goddesses of nature. She has no time for the business of men, but she respects her duty when Leah prompts her to see to Jacob. He tries to make her find pleasure in their intimacy, but Zilpah will not be moved. When her time on the bricks in the...
(This entire section contains 1380 words.)
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red tent comes, Zilpah nearly dies giving birth to her twin sons, Gad and Asher, so she asks for Jacob to never call on her again. Instead, Zilpah becomes engrossed in her eccentric ways, paying homage to the gods. Zilpah fills Dinah’s ears with stories, and this aunt teaches Dinah how to think for herself.
Bilhah
The youngest daughter of Laban and one of his slave women, Bilhah is a quiet woman who sees the truth in others. She willingly becomes Jacob’s third wife after offering to conceive a child in Rachel’s name. Bilhah happily shares her pregnancy with Rachel, and the two become one during these nine months. But after Dan is born, Rachel grows unhappy and Dan becomes part of the tribe of his brothers. Leah’s eldest son, Reuben, often accompanies Bilhah, seeking comfort his aunt’s quiet nature. The love between Bilhah and Reuben grows over the years, and eventually the two make love, only to be caught by Jacob. Bilhah is beaten by her husband, and afterwards she slowly wastes away.
Jacob
The younger twin of Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob is the favored son who receives his father’s blessing and incurs the wrath of his brother, Esau. Jacob comes to Haran, the place of his mother’s birth, and seeks hospitality from his uncle, Laban. While in Laban’s service, Jacob multiplies the size of Laban’s flocks and makes him a wealthy man. But he hates his father-in-law, who slights Jacob’s service with his sloth and greed. He moves his family to his homeland, Canaan, where he can confront his past and welcome his future. Early on, Jacob is kind and gentle to his wives, but time, wealth, and a menagerie of sons makes Jacob hard and headstrong. He grossly mistreats Hamor, the king of Shechem, when he arrives with a large bride price for Dinah, and he does not curb the blood-thirsty nature of his sons who seek revenge. Jacob dies haunted by the ghosts of the past, forgetting his only daughter and the grievances between them.
The Sons of Jacob
The twelve sons of Jacob—Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin—are the pride of their father. Reuben is quiet in nature and refuses to take a wife even long after he is of marriageable age. Instead, he seeks comfort in the quiet nature of his aunt, Bilhah, until they decide that they can no longer contain their affection for one another. In stark contrast, Simon and Levi are angry, spiteful brothers who insist on being part of their father’s consultations lest they not receive their due. They fear that Jacob will bless Joseph because he is the favored son, and indeed, upon his deathbed Jacob seeks to bless Joseph’s children and ask for forgiveness. The other sons compete among their brothers for a place in this tribe.
Meryt
The midwife of Thebes, Meryt attends Dinah during the birth of Re-mose. Meryt is obviously skilled, but she soon learns that she does not have quite the skill that Dinah harbors. She hesitates when Dinah instructs her to cut open her womb but she realizes that Dinah is correctly guiding her. After the birth, Meryt nurses Dinah back to health and becomes her only true friend in the palace. Meryt always has a story, and the lively woman shares every detail of her life with Dinah. Although Dinah does not share her own life, Meryt remains in her company. Meryt and her family open their hearts to Dinah and accept her into their circle as one of their own. Meryt dies surrounded by her loved ones.
Benia
Benia is the woodcarver whom Dinah meets at the marketplace in Thebes. Raised by a poor family, Benia was turned over by his mother to a stonecutter as an apprentice. Benia did not have a gift for stonecutting, but he soon learned that he had a great talent for shaping wood. Benia was married but lost his first wife and children from a bout of fever contracted while traveling to visit family. Afterward, Benia took a young wife who ended up leaving his home, and he once visited a prostitute to calm his desires. But Benia is immediately smitten with Dinah when she inquires about a box he has carved, and he is disappointed that she does not return his affection. When the two meet again in the Valley of the Kings, Benia takes Dinah as his beloved and treats her only with kindness and love for the rest of her days.
