The Narrative Techniques In Esther

The Bible, as a literary classic and a religious canon, comprises66books among which40books are named after names. Esther, being one of the two books named after females’ names in the Bible, has long fascinated the readers from the time of its composition. During the last two or three decades, discussion has focused on issues such as its canonicity, historicity, genre, original purposes, layers of composition, theological meaning and literary style. By employing Shimon Bar-Efrat’s biblical narrative theory, the present thesis intends at exploring the narrative features of Esther as a whole from the perspectives of the narrator, the characterization and the plot, aiming to demonstrate the inner narrative charm of Esther.Apart form the introduction and the conclusion, this thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter One centers on the analysis of the narrator’s omnipotence which is mainly embodied in the narrator’s omniscience and ways of manifestation in Esther. The narrator can not only shift among different characters and scenes and penetrate into characters’inner thoughts, but also can show or hide himself when it is appropriate. Chapter Two focuses on the characterization of Esther. The narrator elaborately uses direct and indirect ways to characterize four vivid characters:Esther, King Ahasuerus, Haman and Mordecai. Chapter Three aims at discussing the plot of Esther to show the uniqueness and excellence of the Esther story. The plot in Esther mainly consists of two core events around which are scenes of symmetrical and contrastive orders. During the staging of plot, the narrator utilizes coincidence and dramatic irony to build the plot. To some extent, this thesis of exploring the unique narrative techniques of Esther can help the readers to have a better understanding of the Esther story, and it may also contribute to studies of the biblical narratives, especially narrative studies of Esther.