Narratological aspects of the masoretic text of Esther

The purpose of this dissertation is two-fold: (1) to investigate the narratological aspects of MT Esther, in particular the narrator's tasks and qualities; and (2) to study how these aspects, tasks, and qualities reveal meaning.; The initial four chapters provide background for the Book of Esther, review the literature, and introduce the narrative participants.; The tasks of the narrator are presented in chap. five: (a) beginnings and endings; (b) instances of focusing and defocusing; (c) situations of internal cohesiveness and points of transition; (d) showing and telling styles of communication; and (e) temporal and spatial relations. Each of these functions is applied to the work of the MT Esther narrator in an effort to determine his message.; Narrators, besides working with literary functions, also exhibit certain qualities. Each narrator shows varying degrees of: (a) visibility; (b) knowledge; (c) privilege; (d) distance; (e) judgment or objectivity; and (f) reliability. These narrator qualities are discussed and applied to MT Esther in chap. six. The narrator's purpose is also explored in this chapter.; The concluding chapter summarizes these selected narratological aspects. Additionally, it discusses the following messages conveyed by MT Esther: oppression and abuse as realities in this world; liberation as a basic human goal and fundamental biblical theme; living well in the Diaspora; the tenuous nature of leadership; the subtlety of life and the need to search for true meaning; and God's presence even in absence.