Reading Between the Lines: Narratological Analysis of Book of Ruth from the Postcolonial Feminist Perspective

Abstract

This thesis explores the dynamics of characterization accompanied by conflicts of interest and state of ambivalence by reading between the lines of the Book of Ruth.1 It interrogates the pre-established ideal of female companionship by focusing on the effects of power structures in the formulation of a character relationship by applying postcolonial feminist narratology. It critically examines postcolonial tropes likes identity, subjectivity, representation, hybridity, and mimicry and shows how they are relevant to the experiences of female protagonists of the Book of Ruth. Through the analysis of characters of Book of Ruth, it explores how the intersection of gender, class, race, culture, religion, etc. affects the character’s identity and subjectivity and representation in the narrative. It deconstructs the essentialist androcentric or gynocentric worldviews by emphasizing the polyphonic nature of the text that gives equal focus on both male-female voices.