Although Joseph is known for his multi-colored coat, Joseph's true plurality stems not from the appearance of his clothing, but from the multiplicity of roles he assumes in the course of the journey. of the biblical story. Joseph is both favored and hated, servant and master, Canaanite and Egyptian, naive and cunning and, in his father's eyes, both dead and alive. His story is very similar to that of his ancestors, but his relationship with God is profoundly different. Joseph, as the last of the patriarchs considered in Genesis, fulfills a unique function. Not only must he physically bring the Jews from Canaan to Egypt, but his story must symbolically bring the early patriarchal relationship with God to a more contemporary level. Joseph's faith in God's plan ultimately leads him to success, despite the suffering he endures throughout the story. The tension between the traditional, patriarchal role and the role Joseph ultimately adopts is highlighted by the fact that his position as his father's favorite child distances him from his ancestors' role as a direct communicator with God and pushes him to become the father of only one of the twelve. tribes of Israel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Joseph's position as his father's favorite quickly lands him in trouble with his brothers. This family struggle constitutes a first indicator of the duality which arises from the conflict between Joseph's success and the actions of those who are supposed to hide it from him. Joseph, because he is loved by his father "more than any of his other children" (book 37, chapter 3), suffers the consequences of intense anger and jealousy from the other sons of his father. Perhaps innocently, Joseph fans the flames of his brothers' hatred by accepting his elevated status. Joseph tells his brothers and his father about his dream, in which representative images of his brothers “prostrated themselves” (37:3) before him. Displaying what can be interpreted either as naivety or mocking confidence in his father's favoritism, he recounts a second, similar dream, even though his description of the first has already caused his brothers to hate him "even more » (37, 9). . However, his dreams eventually cause even his father to protest, when Joseph recounts a dream in which even Jacob himself, depicted as "the sun" (37:9), bows before him. Joseph's feelings of superiority are expressed in a number of other areas. Jacob's early favoritism immediately elevates his position. As Joseph further assumes his place as the presumed next in his father's lineage, he begins to separate himself from his brothers by ignoring his duties. He is the only one of Jacob's sons to stay at home while his brothers are outside “pasturing the flock in Shechem” (37:13). Jacob drives a wedge between Joseph and his brothers by placing him in an overseer-like position. He tells Joseph to join his brothers in their work so that Joseph can “bring him news” (37:14) of his brothers’ actions. Joseph sets out to join his brothers, but they overpower him and throw him into a pit, an action that reverses Joseph's high status both physically and symbolically. Shortly thereafter, he is picked up by a group of Midianite traders and eventually sold into slavery in Egypt, a fate that seems to contrast sharply with his dreams and with his previous position as master over his brothers. the position becomes a pattern that repeats itself throughout much of the narrative. Arriving in Egypt, Joseph oscillates between opposing positions, becoming both slave and master, as well as prisoner and jailer. Josepharrives in Egypt as a slave and is sold to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh, as a servant. In Potiphar's house he immediately succeeded. Potiphar sees that “the Lord was with [Joseph] and that the Lord caused everything he did to prosper in his hands” (39, 2). He elevates Joseph to the position of "overseer of his house and entrusts him with responsibility for everything he [possesses]" (39, 4-5) Joseph acquires increasing influence in Potiphar's house, eventually becoming as powerful as his master, who at this stage cares little for the affairs of the house other than “the food he [eats]” (39, 6). , the tides soon turn against Joseph as Joseph takes on an increasingly householder-like role, Potiphar's wife begins to make advances towards Joseph, but Potiphar's wife, upset by Joseph's rejection , turns Joseph's kindness against him. garment that Joseph left “in her hand” (39, 12) while fleeing her advances to incriminate her, telling the men of the house that Joseph had come to “sleep with [her]” (39, 14) and saying to her husband that he had come “to insult him” (39, 17). Like Joseph's brothers, who superficially elevate themselves above Joseph by throwing him into a pit, Potiphar's wife reestablishes her status by claiming that Joseph fled as soon as she "raised her voice" (39 , 18). Potiphar, angry with Joseph, had the younger man sent to prison. Once again, Joseph falls from what is essentially the highest rung of one environment to the bottom of a new environment. Joseph's position as he progresses from Canaan, where he faces simple family envy, to Egypt, where he is sold. in slavery, in prison seems to get progressively worse. However, Joseph manages to flourish despite the wrongs done to him. Even when he is thrown into prison, an event that arguably marks the lowest point of his journey, Joseph manages to rise to the top of his environment. Winning “the favor of the prison keeper” (39:21), Joseph is granted privileges and powers far beyond those of an ordinary prisoner. In a strange display of favoritism, the prison guard entrusts “all the prisoners to the care of Joseph” (39:22). He attains a position of authority and power that parallels his rise from servant to near-master in Potiphar's house, eventually becoming responsible for "all that [is] done" (39.22) in the prison. His influence elevates him to what is essentially the position of prison guard. When Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker are imprisoned for offending the king, the "captain of the guards [charges] Joseph" with their care. Joseph, although still technically a prisoner, becomes the prison guard. Thanks to his interactions with Pharaoh's cupbearer and the baker, Joseph manages to escape from prison. He successfully interprets the meaning of the imprisoned servants' dreams. This ability serves to demonstrate how Joseph's success, although aided by God, is largely accomplished through his own intelligence. While dreams are biblically considered communications from God, Joseph had a unique talent for understanding them. This skill demonstrates both his close relationship with God and his cunning. After all that he interprets "[happens]" (41, 13), the impressed cupbearer shares Joseph's talent with the Pharaoh, who is troubled by dreams that "none [of his magicians and wise men] could interpret” (41, 8). The Pharaoh takes him out of prison and also asks him to interpret his dreams. From Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph guesses that Egypt must prepare for seven years of famine and advises Pharaoh to appoint a "discreet and wise" man (41, 33) to supervise Egypt in anticipationof this famine. Perhaps as a clever way of making his case for the position, he then gives additional advice aside from any information that might have been gleaned directly from the dream. Joseph gives Pharaoh a detailed, detailed plan to combat the famine: appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the produce from the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. And let them gather together all the food of these good years that come, and let them store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for the food of the land.cities, and let them keep it. This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine which will fall on the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish from famine. (41, 34 36) Joseph's success, although aided by the hand of God, is largely due to his intelligence. Impressed by Joseph and confident that God is with him “since God showed him all this” (41, 39), the Pharaoh grants this position to Joseph. In his new position, Joseph is granted an extraordinary degree of power. Pharaoh's immediate trust in Joseph follows a pattern repeated throughout much of the narrative. Joseph continually rises to the level of his superiors, often assuming much of their authority and position and almost replacing the roles of those he is meant to serve. This is a theme that we find even in Canaan, when Joseph stays at home while his brothers shepherd. Likewise, in Potiphar's house, he almost surpasses his master, recognizing at one point that Potiphar "is not greater in his house than [he]" (39.9). In his position as Pharaoh's assistant, Joseph goes from submissive to master when Pharaoh places him "over [his] house" (41, 40), and commands his people to "order themselves according as [ Joseph] command[s] it” (41, 40) and tells Joseph that “only as regards the throne” (41, 40) will he remain greater than Joseph. By becoming “ruler of the whole land of Egypt” (45:26), Joseph demonstrates his ability to rise in status regardless of the obstacles that stand before him. This success in the face of adversity is used to illustrate a more contemporary relationship with God, in which one can be favored in God's eyes and at the same time suffer. Joseph must overcome many difficulties, but because “the Lord [is] with Joseph” (39, 2), God “makes all that he [does] prosper” (39, 4). Joseph's accomplishments show that suffering does not necessarily take the form of divine punishment. Rather, Joseph's struggles are part of God's plan. As Joseph explains to his brothers after they ask for forgiveness for wronging him, “you intended evil against me, but God intended it for good” (50:19-20). Joseph, by excusing his brothers' wrongs, demonstrates his belief that if they had not occurred, the outcome of his life would have been entirely different. He clarifies that it was only through the actions of his brothers that he was brought to Egypt and thus able to rise to his ultimate position of power. Joseph's suffering despite his favor in God's eyes contrasts with the suffering of those who commit sins. against God. After Joseph is sold into slavery, the biblical narrative tangentially focuses on the affairs of the family of Judah, one of the brothers who plotted against Joseph. Judah loses both of his children because of their depravity. His first son, Er, is killed by God because he was “wicked in the eyes of the Lord” (38, 7), without any other explanation. Er's brother Onan also antagonizes God by refusing to impregnate Er's widowed wife. In doing so, he neglects the “usual duty of a brother-in-law” (38, 8), out of a selfish conviction “that the offspring will not belong to him” (38, 9)..