The Red Tent

Discuss the role of daughters in the novel, specifically Dinah as Jacob’s only daughter. How does she understand and fulfill her role?

Discuss the role of daughters in the novel, specifically Dinah as Jacob’s only daughter. How does she understand and fulfill her role?

Analyze Dinah’s relationships with her four mothers. How do these relationships compare to those with Rebecca, Re-nefer, and Meryt? What is the significance of this variety?

Analyze the red tent as a symbol. How does it change throughout the novel?

Spaces for women appear throughout the novel, from households to the shrine at Mamre. What qualities do these spaces share with the red tent, and what makes them distinct?

Discuss Dinah’s different homes, including her brief stay in Shechem. What role does each home play in developing her character?

Explore the novel’s focus on reproduction as a female task. How does this shared task bond women?

Discuss religious observance in the novel. What forms does it take? How do Dinah’s prophetic dreams and curse of her family tie into religion?

Explore the role of violence in the novel. What forms does it take? How does masculinity tie into violence?