Hagar+and+Sarah;+the+Proposition


 * Hagar and Sarah; The Proposition**

//By A. Weinstock//
media type="file" key="Hagar and Sarah.mp3"

 During the assignment in question, the goal was to write a dialogue between two characters from Genesis, whose conversation had not happened in the original text. For inspiration, the teacher showed us a comedic podcast by Bill Cosby, stating that it should be somewhat reminiscent of that. Originally, the idea for this podcast was a comedic conversation between God and the serpent that caused Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. However, this soon turned into too much of a comedic plot and the story line was changed to a frantic conversation between Hagar and Sarah. Inspired by insanely idiotic and stupid old movies/TV shows, this serious conversation would have many comedic aspects. In this way, the podcast came together in a funny, yet also intelligent way. Along with a dialogue between the two characters, there is an analyses of both about which character traits were being displayed most prominently. Finally, there is a short reflection on the assignment as a whole.

Hagar and Sarah; The Proposition

Sarah
====Oh God. Send me a sign. I have obeyed you swiftly for all of my many years. Why have you forsaken me and not given me a child. My husband. What will become of him? His legacy, his prophecy. And it’s because of me. Me. I do not understand why it is I who has to suffer. But, I do know, you are doing this for a reason. You have just yet to tell me what that reason is. ====

Sarah
====(Sweetly) Hagar, my dear faithful servant. All of these years, I have thought of you not as a slave, but as a daughter. My dearest, would you do a favor for me? ====

Sarah
====(sweet) Hagar, I am barren, my husband is unable to pass on his legacy without a child. He must go into you so he can conceive my child through you. ====

Hagar
====Miss. I do not understand. How is it that I, a common slave, would be one to conceive a child for someone of you husband's royalty? ====

Sarah
====(normal) It is not the same. You will be conceiving for me. All it will be is one night. One night in one tent. ====

Hagar
====But Sarah, (pause) what of your husband? (pause) What will he say when he awakes to find me as the one carrying his child? (build to crescendo) ====

====Sarah ==== ====(very anxious/exasperated) HAGAR! It is not your business to question what is right and what is wrong about what I do. (deep breath) You work for me; you will do as you are told. ====

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Hagar
====<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Miss, growing up in Egypt as a young child, I knew that I would have to serve under someone someday. (beat) However I never, ever thoug ht I would have to bear their child. (beat) I am honored that you have thought of me. But please miss, (pause) please, (pause) I beg of you that you reconsider. Just give yourself another chance. Please miss. (pause) And what of the Master, (beat) what will he think of me after I bear his child, I will never be the same to him. I-I a-am s-s-so worried. ====

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Sarah
====<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">(furious). You work for me you useless mess. You will do AS YOU ARE TOLD. There is no need to fuss;(beat) it is one night,(beat) one night. (pause) Then it is done. (beat) You will continue on the way you were,(beat) and I, (beat) I will have a child. ====

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Sarah
====<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">(angry/anxious but calmly) Hagar. I will not say this again,(beat) you will do as you are told. IT is God’s choice, (pause) not <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">mine. ====

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Hagar
====<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">(screams) FINE!! (deep breathing/hiccups) My innocence lost to an unjust cause. (beat) What will my family think of me. ====

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Hagar (cont.)
====<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: right;">Please miss, (pause) how am I supposed to believe you when you say God is giving you orders? (pause) How. ====

In this script, Weinstock manages to portray Hagar, the protagonist, as a distraught young woman, whose confidence is constantly being shattered by her cruel mistress.

All humans become defensive when they are forced into doing something they don't want to do. Therefore, when Hagar is commanded by Sarah to conceive her child, she retaliates with, "What a violation, I could never" (Weinstock 2). These words are the only way in which Hagar can try and get out of this situation because she is a poor woman with nowhere else to go controlled by two people who are in God's very good graces. As the protagonist, Hagar manages to fight off Sarah for a small amount of time with screams and brown-nosing. But, in the crescendo of this story, Sarah loses her calm towards Hagar and screams, "You work for me you useless mess!" (Weinstock 3). Hagar breaks down to cry as a final attempt to get herself out of the situation. This act of crying is an ancient art that babies and small children popularized throughout all of humanity. Crying, an annoying yet extremely influential defense mechanism in all humans has worked for so long because it evokes sadness, which, is very contagious. The cry is the sign that someone has given into recognition realizing that they need someone else's help. But, in the end, this does not win with Sarah and Hagar is pregnant with Abraham and "Sarah's" baby.



<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hagar, an obedient and humble Egyptian slave caught in the middle of a Divine conflict, is forced to conceive a child with her master when her mistress Sarah turns out to be barren. After running away from home due to Sarah’s cruelty, Hagar is visited by an angel who says, “Return to your mistress and submit to her” (Gen. 16.9). The key word here is submit, “to accept to a superior force”. Her obedience as a slave tells her to forsake her dreams of happiness by running away. However, the moral conflicts within her, such as becoming a prostitute, leave her hesitant about what to do. In the end, Hagar turns to face her fears by traveling back to the house of Abraham. In the picture //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">, Hagar and Sarah are sitting next to Abraham’s bed. This painting has a dual nature reflecting both Sarah and Hagar. For Hagar, the important aspect of this piece of work is her gaze downward. She is embarrassed and humbled at the same time by the fact that she is being asked to carry her master’s child. Her embarrassment is derived from the fact that she, as a slave, is becoming the mother of an extremely influential person while Abraham’s true wife sits angrily to the side. However, her humility is coming from the fact that she, a normal slave whose life would have held no real importance without this particular circumstance, is going to become a famous figure in history. Neither of these two options leaves Sarah feeling any less enraged than she already is.

Sarah, a bitter yet beautiful woman, is horrified to find out that she is unable to bear children. Still intent on becoming some sort of mother, Sarah has her husband conceive with their slave, Hagar. However, while Hagar is pregnant, “Sarah [deals] harshly with her and she [runs] away” (Gen. 16.6). Sarah does this because she is desperately trying to find a scapegoat, for she is unable to cope with the fact that she herself is unable to have kids. When the realization of Hagar (a slave) having a strong power over her finally sets into Sarah’s mind, she becomes very vindictive. In the above-mentioned picture, //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham, //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Sarah’s arm is tilted downwards, hand clenched into a fist, a weak finger sticking out to indicate Hagar. The fact that the arm is pointed downwards, gives off the impression that Sarah believes she is superior to Hagar, even in this situation in which she has no control. The arm clenched into a fist with a finger pointed towards Hagar evokes the strong sense of fury emanating from Sarah. While this is clearly stated in the depiction of this scene, the position of height relative to each other is also important. Highest in command, Abraham has his head above all, closely followed by Sarah. Hagar sits alone at the bottom. This depicts the idea that Abraham and Sarah still have a connection in this situation in which Hagar is not involved. In the end, no matter what she has accomplished, Hagar is just a mere puppet to Abraham and Sarah.

About the Artist - With Help from Wikipedia

Adriaen Van Der Werff was a famous Dutch artist, who, over his life, acquired a rather large fortune. Making his way up the social ladder, Van Werff Der was painting a portrait of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in his height. However, he lost his well paying job as a court painter when the money ran out and the Elector died. Called one of the greatest artists of the time during the 18th century, Van Der Werff's reputation died down when he was accused of betraying the Dutch natural tradition. When the 19th century came around, Van Der Werff's art was not being appreciated the way it used to be.

Throughout this whole year in English, I have learned many new skills. In the beginning of the year, my writing style was fluctuating because I had not yet found a particular way to express my thoughts. However as the school year steadily progressed, I found my creative writing style and that has allowed me to succeed in this project and others as well. Grammar was a very hard concept to grasp at the beginning of the year. Grammar proved to be exceedingly time consuming. After a while though, I had a pretty good grasp of the grammar concept and this project in particular allowed me to practice grammar in many areas of writing (scripts, biographies, analyses). Technology has played a particularly large part in my English year. This has helped me learn more about computers, which, I am not very good with. This final project really allowed me to show myself that I was capable of doing something I thought was Sisyphean at the beginning of the project; putting up an entire website and organizing it. Overall, I feel as though this was a good way to end the year in English. The Conversation That Never Happened was a lot of fun and if I were ever given the chance to do another project like this one, I would take it in a second. This was a fantastic experience.

Citations

http://freechristimages.org/Images_Genesis/Hagar_in_the_Wilderness_JeanBaptisteCamille_Corot_1835.jpg

http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/AbrahamPleadsWithSarah_sm.jpg

http://www.free-stories.net/images/biblestoryofhagar.jpg

http://www.lib-art.com/imgpainting/8/7/18578-sarah-presenting-hagar-to-abraham-adriaen-van-der-werff.jpg

http://www.wga.hu/art/v/verhaghe/hagar_is.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adriaen_van_der_Werff-_Self_portrait.jpg