Esther and Nora

I just finished reading the Book of Esther in the the Old Testament of the Bible, and A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen.  These two books were written about 2,300 years apart, and show more clearly than history books, the status of women in these two cultures. 

Esther became queen of the Persian empire when Ahaserus was king, at the time of the Jewish captivity in Babylon.  The capital was in the city of Susa in present day Iran. ( I understand the ruins are a popular tourist attraction today.) Ahaserus ruled over lands from India to Ethiopia, the largest known empire up to that time.  He was an absolute monarch with power of life or death over whole states and individuals. 

Esther herself has been intriguing to me since I was a young girl.  She was so brave!  And the older I become, the more I realize how BRAVE she was.  Women had NO rights in her time, and she dared to appear and plead her people's cause.  I aways have pictured her tall, dark haired and beautiful. 

Just after I graduated from college, I worked for a senator in Washington, D.C.  One day a few months after I began work, the Shah of Iran came for a state visit (this is in 1962 when there was a Shah) and gave a speech before a Joint Session of Congress.  Our office had one or two tickets for the event.  No one else of the staff wanted to go.....I couldn't belive that!  So, even though I was lowest seniority, I got to attend the speech.  The Shah was short, but impressive in his uniform with a chest full of medals.  The empress was tall, graceful and beautiful and more impressive to me.  She was dressed in light turquoise silk, from her hat to her shoes. She is my image of Esther. 

Fast forward to 1879 in Norway and Nora and Torvald Helmer.  Women's lot had not improved appreciably since 480 B.C.  Women were  totally subject  first to their fathers, then to their husbands.  Women's children "belonged" to the husband; they had no rights over them.  I think Torvald Helmer and King Ahaserus could switch places and be very comfortable in their marriage relationship.  Each had a total sense of superiority and knew he ruled over his wife.  Yes, Torvald, could have kept Nora from "his" children, even if she had stayed with him.

Queen Esther has been an inspiration to millions of women through the ages, as an example of a courageous woman.  The Hebrew word for Esther is Hadassah, and in synagogues all over the world, the women's group is called The Hadassah Society, after Queen Esther.  In African American churches traditionally, there are many women's groups called The Queen Esther Society.  These names show, I believe, a longing in women to be empowered and recognized for their worth.