Although Joseph is known for his many-colored coat, Joseph's true plurality comes not from the appearance of his clothing, but from the multiplicity of roles he takes on throughout his life. biblical story. Joseph is at once favored and hated, servant and master, Canaanite and Egyptian, naive and cunning, and, in his father's eyes, both dead and alive. His story bears a strong resemblance to those of his ancestors, yet his relationship with God is profoundly different. Joseph, as the last of the patriarchs to be considered in Genesis, serves a unique function. Not only must he physically bring the Jews from Canaan to Egypt, but his story must symbolically bring the ancient 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 much of the tale. The tension between the traditional patriarchal role and the role Joseph ultimately adopts is highlighted as his position as his father's favorite son pushes him away from his ancestors' roles as direct communicators with God and toward becoming the father of only one of the twelve tribe of Israel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Joseph's position as his father's favorite quickly gets him into trouble with his brothers. This family struggle serves as an early indicator of the duality that arises from the conflict between Joseph's success and the actions of those who should prevent him from doing so. Joseph, because he is loved by his father "more than all his other sons" (book 37 chapter 3), suffers the consequences of intense anger and jealousy on the part of his father's other sons. Perhaps innocently, Joseph fans the fires of his brothers' hatred by embracing his exalted status. Joseph tells his brothers and father his dream, in which representative images of his brothers "bowed" (37.3) before him. Demonstrating what can be interpreted as naivety or mocking confidence in his father's favoritism, he proceeds to recount a second similar dream, even though his description of the first has already made his brothers hate him "even more" (37, 9). . His dreams, however, ultimately lead his father to protest as well, when Joseph recounts a dream in which Jacob himself, represented as "the sun" (37, 9), bows before him. Joseph's feelings of superiority are expressed in a number of other arenas. Jacob's early favoritism immediately elevates his position. As Joseph further embraces his place as the presumed next in line to his father, he begins to separate himself from his brothers by ignoring his duties. He is the only one of Jacob's sons to remain at home while his brothers are out "feeding the flock in Shechem" (37.13). Jacob improves the division between Joseph and his brothers by placing him in a position similar to that of an overseer. 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 elevated status both physically and symbolically. Shortly thereafter, he is captured by a group of Midianite traders and eventually sold into slavery in Egypt, a fate that seems in stark contrast to both his dreams and his former position as master over his brothers. the position becomes a pattern that repeats throughout much of the narrative. Having arrived in Egypt, Joseph oscillates between opposite positions, becoming at the same time slave and master, as well as prisoner and jailer. Joseph catches upEgypt as a slave and is sold as a servant to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer. In Potiphar's house he was immediately successful. Potiphar sees that "the Lord was with [Joseph] and that...The Lord has made everything he has done prosper in his hands" (39,2). 5). Joseph acquires growing influence in Potiphar's house, becoming ultimately as powerful as his master, who at this point has little concern for the affairs of the house beyond "the food he [eats]" (39, 6), the tides soon turn to Joseph more similar to that of master of the house, Potiphar's wife begins to make advances, but Potiphar's wife, shocked by Joseph's refusal, turns Joseph's goodness against him in the garment that Joseph left "in her hands" (39 ,12) as she fled from his advances to incriminate him, telling the men of the house that Joseph had come "to lie with [her]" (39,14) and telling her husband that he had come "to insult her" (39, 17). Like Joseph's brothers, who superficially elevate themselves above Joseph by throwing him into a pit, Potiphar's wife restores his status by claiming that Joseph fled as soon as she "lifted [her] voice" (39, 18). Potiphar, angry with Joseph, has the young man sent to prison. Once again, Joseph falls from what is essentially the top rung of one environment to the bottom of a new one. Joseph's position as he progresses from Canaan, where he faces simple family envy, to Egypt, where he is sold into slavery, to prison appears to progressively worsen. However, Joseph manages to thrive despite the wrongs he has suffered. Even when he is thrown into prison, an event that probably marks the lowest point of his journey, Joseph manages to reach the pinnacle of his environment. By earning “favor in the eyes 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 keeper entrusts "all the prisoners to Joseph's care" (39, 22). He achieves a position of authority and power that parallels his ascension from servant to quasi-master in Potiphar's house, ultimately becoming responsible for "all that [is] done" (39, 22) in the prison. His influence elevates him to what is essentially the position of prison warden. When Pharaoh's butler and baker are imprisoned for offending the king, the "captain of the guard [charges] Joseph" with their care. Joseph, while still technically a prisoner, becomes the prison's keeper. Through his interactions with Pharaoh's butler and the baker, Joseph manages to leave prison. Successfully interprets the meaning of dreams of imprisoned servants. This ability serves to demonstrate how Joseph's success, although aided by God, is largely achieved through his intelligence. Although dreams are biblically considered communications from God, Joseph has a unique talent for understanding them. This ability demonstrates both his close relationship with God and his cunning. After all that he interprets "[occurs]" (41, 13), the impressed butler reports the news of Joseph's prowess to Pharaoh, who is troubled by dreams that "none [of his magicians and wise men] could interpret" (41, 8). Pharaoh releases him from prison and asks him to also interpret his dreams. From Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph divines 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 preparation. Perhaps as a clever means of asserting himself for the position, he then provides additional advice external to any information that could have been gleaned directly from the dream. Josephprovides Pharaoh with a broad and detailed plan to combat the famine: Appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven good years. And let them gather all the provisions of these good years that come, and let them store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh as food in the city, and let them keep it. Those foods will serve as a reserve for the country in view of the seven years of famine that will strike the land of Egypt, so that the country does 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 has shown him all this" (41, 39), Pharaoh grants Joseph the commission. 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 story. Joseph continually rises to the level of his superiors, often taking on much of their authority and position and almost replacing the roles of those he is supposed to serve. This is a theme that is also found in Canaan, when Joseph stays at home while his brothers graze. Likewise, in Potiphar's house, he almost surpasses his master, acknowledging at one point that Potiphar "is not greater than [him] in his house" (39, 9). In his position as Pharaoh's helper, Joseph rises from submissive to master when Pharaoh places him "over [his] house" (41.40), commands his people to "order themselves as [Joseph] commands" (41.40 ) and tells Joseph that «only as regards the throne» (41.40) will he remain greater than Joseph. By becoming “ruler over all the land of Egypt” (45.26), Joseph demonstrates his ability to rise in status regardless of the obstacles placed before him. This success in the face of adversity is used to illustrate a more contemporary relationship with God, where one can be favored in the eyes of God and suffer at the same time. Joseph faces numerous difficulties, but because "the Lord [is] with Joseph" (39.2), God "prospereth all that [he does]" (39.4). Joseph's successes demonstrate 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 who ask him for forgiveness for having harmed him, «you have done evil against me; but God did it for good" (50, 19-20). Joseph, in excusing his brothers' wrongs, demonstrates his belief that if they had not occurred, the outcome of his life would have been completely different. He makes it clear that it is only through the actions of his brothers that he was brought to Egypt and thus able to reach his final position of power. Joseph's suffering despite his favor in the eyes of God is contrasted with the suffering of those who commit sins against God. After Joseph is sold into slavery, the biblical narrative focuses tangentially on the family affairs of Judah, one of the brothers who plotted against Joseph. Judah loses both of his sons due to their depravity. His first son, Er, is killed by God because he is "evil in the eyes of the Lord" (38.7), without further explanation. Er's brother Onan also displeases 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 selfish awareness "that the offspring will not be his" (38.9). This failure to act in a "morally correct" manner is found "displeasing in the sight of the Lord" (38, 10), so Onan is also killed. The suffering of the brothers differs profoundly from the hardships endured by Joseph. Unlike Joseph, whose suffering ultimately leads to a beneficial outcome,.