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Tradition notably refers to Joseph as a tzadik (righteous person), and several commentators point to Joseph’s naming of his sons in Hebrew as a premiere example of his dedication
Reflecting on this text as a whole, the main question is whether Joseph is a right person or not in which everyone's opinion on the matter differs. On the negative side, Joseph can be viewed as not being caring enough or not sympathetic because he could have realized much earlier on that his early success and the words that Jacob said about him can be hurtful for his brothers and could have spoken about that matter. Even though that is the case, he managed to become a very successful leader for Egypt despite being betrayed by his brothers and being sold off as a slave and that accomplishment on its own is very telling of the character that Joseph is and shows that all his success is deserved and should be recognized. He led his people during a famine and was very wise as well. With that being said, Joseph shall be remembered as a righteous person because he had qualities of bravery, courage, wisdom, smart, and many more in a total package unlike many leaders out there. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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Only upon seeing Benjamin does Joseph reveal himself to his brothers, grant them forgiveness, and bring the entire family down to Egypt
Joseph reveals his identity to his family after many years and his forgiveness shows an important theme of the text which is to be forgiving and kind which is an important theme of the text as well. The reader reaches the emotional climax of the story as the story comes to the resolve as the brothers ask for forgiveness and Joseph is also able to forgive them for their betrayal. The idea of destiny and fate comes into play during this section as it was supposed to be him testing his brothers before finally revealing his identity. Divine intervention comes into play here and shows the realization of the dream and how all these events were supposed to play out did happen happen because of the divine beings. Joseph as a male figure having to manage the famine and find solutions to problems once again shows the dominant role that men are placed in and how they must protect others and serve others. Not to mention, the female characters play a more passive role showing how women are cared for but not respected in the same manner as men. All of the qualities of Joseph mentioned early on comes into play as it shows why he was ultimately successful in the end and why being virtuous is important along with being brave and wise as that total package helps create a great leader. This is another high point in the story as the narrative is reaching a resolve and also shows how Joseph was able to bring his family together and was able to forgive them. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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The brothers then tear up Joseph’s special coat, dip it in goat’s blood, and present it to Jacob as proof of his son’s death.
The reader once again notices how significant the symbol of the coat is and also is important for imagery as well. Before being a symbol showing the power that Joseph will have soon, it now becomes a symbol that shows how deceit and betryal will affect his life especially after the act of tearing and staining rhe coat. He is no longer in a poistion of power and is now in a postion of loss. This shift in symbolist is a reflection of the brothers being jealous and how their familky ties and own jealousy led to the betrayal of their own brother. Using the coat as evidence of his death shows the deception of the brothers and how they were willing to go to any measure because of how jealous they were and could not accept their brother's success. The coat used to show love and affection but now symbolizes deceit and illustrates how manipulation can have huge impacts and change lives for the worse. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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“Seven years are coming, a great abundance through the land. Then seven years of famine will arise”
Joseph's role as a prophetic figures is highlighted really well here and shows how his abaility to interpret dreams is important for the future events of the story. The seven years is also a testament to being prepared and also opens doors for Joseph as he can manage the famine with his own leadership and wisdom. Because he was able to predict these events correctly and gain the trust of authorities, he gains a significant bump up in poistion of power and gets immense power which points to how it was desinty anfd fate for him to be in a poistion of leadership that has great power and influence. Fate is a theme in this text as it proves that Jopseh was meant to be a prominent figure even after his brothers betrayed him. Potiphar's wife trying to wrongly accsuse Joseph of rape shows the dangers that Joseph has faced throughout the day and how sticking to your values will always work out. It also shows that even though women did not hold much power in thier society, men greatly cared about their wellbeing and immediately took action after the accusation showing how women are taken of but not as respected as one might think. Even thugh being in prison was not supposed to happen and not deserved, it helped him show his special ability to the higher ups allowing him to gain a position of power showing how not all negatuve events will lead to negative consequences as it worked out very well for Josewph. IT also speaks volumes about the heroism of Joseph as it shows that he is not supposed to suffer and was meant to rise as a leader and showcase his abiliites as one. This is a very high point in the story as Joseph has rebounded from the betryal of his brothers and managed to get a pistyion of power and influence unlike most people. The low point in the story would be when his brothers betrayed him and sent him off as a slave. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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Joseph also tells his family about two dreams he had, the first in which 11 sheaves of wheat bow down to his, and a second where the sun, moon, and 11 stars all bow to him as well.
These dreams can be seen as being prophetic and also a sign of foreshadowing because it will show how Joseph rises to power in Egypt and will have much more power and influences compared to the rest of his family. It is also destiny that Joseph becomes this prominent figure and also highlights the theme of divine intervention because it is meant to be for Joseph. While life might have other plans, it shows that higher beings have other things in mind and that certain people are meant to do special things and this is the case for Joseph. It also alludes to the fact that people are not entirely in control over their destiny and that some luck is required to be successful. An interesting image of the sheaves of wheat and celestial bodies bowing down shows that Joseph will eventually be a ruling bodies and that will have power over a large group of people. It also contrasts the shift in power for him as he goes from being a little brother who receives commands to being someone who will be giving out commands. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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“Israel (another name for Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his sons since he was a child of his old age”
This is a significant quote as it highlights the favored status of Joseph and is central to the story as a whole. It can be attributed to the "coat of many colors" which symbolizes the affection and also jealousy that his brothers are feeling. Foreshadowing can be seen here as it sets the stage for the family conflict and shows that the family issues will drive the story as a whole. His brothers being jealous and resenting Joseph will lead him to being sold as a slave which which will greatly impact the life of Joseph. The coat is a very special symbol as the various colors can also point to the special position that Joseph is in being in the family and does a good job talking about the theme of of favoritism and how it can have serious effects. Especially being in a society ruled by men and where males are the alphas in the household, the things that Jacob does to reinforce the power and position of Joseph is a slap in the face for his brothers. The resent being compounded by the coat reveals deeper issues of inequality leading to this sibling rivalry and dispute. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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It is also one of the best known, alluded to frequently in Western literature and adapted by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice into the operetta Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Looking at the Genesis as a text, it shows Joseph as being someone who is skilled in many things that a hero requires and also is brave and wise and much more. The story mainly goes into his rise as a prominent figure in Egypt. Another interesting key thing about the text is how it depicts the men as being the hero and the women needing the saving which will be a theme we see throughout the text. Joseph's masculinity is virtuous and attributed to success which is interesting because it contrasted with the positions that women are in being challenging and requiring the protection of men and needing their heroism. Potiphar's wife's decisions are highlighted in the text and does a good job showing how perceived gender roles can affect the story and can make female characters either feel superior to other characters or make them feel inferior in the original text which also shows the power that the author has. Comparing the Hebrew and English versions of the text, there may be more focus on the female characters in the modern texts because of a a cultural shift over the years and because women's views were not viewed in the same regard in the past. The way that gender roles are presented and interpreted are very essential as they can affect one's perception of the text and understanding of the whole story. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)
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