Abstract

Abstract:

In E.D.E.N. Southworth’s The Hidden Hand, an allusion to the book of Judith points to parallels in its formalist elements—intertextuality, plot features, and genre (comedy)—and in themes—its protagonists’ challenge of gender roles and emphasis on God’s sovereignty. They also share a mixed critical interpretation. The similarities are tempered by Southworth’s rejection of Old Testament-style violence and her New Testament belief in the possibility of redemption for all souls. The resulting tensions manifest in ambiguities that correlate with feminist theologians’ disparate interpretations of Judith, particularly those that note a spiritual progression from Judith to Mary that moves from “righteous” violence to acts of peace.

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