Diamant now lives in west newton, ma, with her husband and daughter emilia, to whom the book is dedicated. In the bible, dinahs story is only briefly mentioned. The red tent tells the littleknown biblical story of dinah, daughter of the patriarch jacob and his wife, leah. Dinah sometimes curses peopleand these people seem to feel the consequences. The red tent by anita diamant 1997 her name is dinah. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout the red tent by anita diamant. These are exhausting topics, but red tent handles them deftly through a nuanced discussion between an ac repairman and an aspiring terrorist. Reading guide for the red tent by anita diamant bookbrowse. Female relationships figure largely in the red tent discuss the importance of inna, tabea, werenro, and meryt. I had not heard of the red tent being made up but, like others have mentioned, i saw the red tent as symbolic.
She is a minor character in the bible, but the author has broadened her story. This detached point of view may also pertain to dinahs discussion in the prologue of. The following questions are designed to help you guide your students through a discussion on the characters, plot, and themes of anita diamants. Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers. In the bible her fate is merely hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the verses of the book of genesis that recount the life of jacob and his.
Discussion questions discussion questions from publishers reading guide. Known as simply the object of her brothers wrath, dinah. The site now lists 57 active groups across england, wales. The red tent by anita diamant tells the story of the biblical character dinah, jacobs daughter and josephs sister. This summary of the red tent includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Read genesis 34 and discuss how the red tent changes your perspective on dinahs story and also on. The red tent is a 1997 novel by anita diamant that builds a fictional exploration of a minor character in the judeochristian torahbible, dinah, a daughter of jacob and sister of. The book of genesis has had a tremendous influence on literature throughout the centuries, as it contains some of the earliest stories of man and. Deeply affecting, the red tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable contribution in modern fiction.
Rather than using an unnamed thirdperson narrator, diamant utilizes a figure immersed in the stories recounted in the red tent. It reminded me of somehting we do in my husbands family, girls night out. Readers of the red tent will view the book of genesis in a new light. The red tent by anita diamant book club discussion questions. This guide can help spur creative discussions of the timeless story. What do make of this story being told from beyond the grave. Dinahs point of viewan observer privy to extremely intimate detailsallows dinah to present the private details of one familys history and to weave between objective and subjective perspectives. 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. Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. Diamant, the books author, has faced accusations of blasphemy for her imaginative departure from the events of genesis 34. For me, it was more of a gathering place for women to storytell and pass knowledge. The red tent by anita diamant book club discussion.
A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. If diamant had not provided the first three chapters of the book, would the reader still understand dinahs. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on the red tent by anita diamant. In chapter 34 of the book of genesis, dinahs tale is a short, horrific detour in the familiar narrative of jacob and joseph.
The red tent is a novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 by wyatt books for st. According to the red tent directory, an online listing of active groups across europe, the red tent movement arrived in the uk in 2009. The red tent book discussion group of the unitarian universalist fellowship of harrisonburg virginia. It is a firstperson narrative that tells the story of dinah, daughter of jacob and leah, sister of joseph. 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.