Female-female homoeroticism: Ruth and Naomi. The homoerotic hypothesis says: there is an erotic bond between Ruth and Naomi. That is: there is companionate love between them, and it is (to some degree) sexually mediated. The heteronormative hypothesis denies this. It says “they’re just friends”.
When Ruth expresses her commitment to Naomi, she is described by the narrator as “clinging” to Naomi: “Ruth clung to her”. The Hebrew verb that is translated as “clinging” is also translated as “cleaving”. When a relation between two people is described that way, it is unique in the scriptural tradition. It communicates something specific in the tradition.
It starts off from the very beginning: it describes the relation between Adam and Eve: “ Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh”. “ Becoming one flesh” is a euphemism for a sexual union. So, then describing the relation between Ruth and Naomi as “clinging” is suggestive of an erotic bond.
This is reinforced by Boaz’s description of their relation: “ all that you have done for your mother-in-law, since the death of your husband has been finally told me, and how you LEFT YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER and your native land, and came to a people that you did not know before”. This description invites a comparison between the relation between Ruth and Naomi (Ruth leaves her mother and father for Naomi), and the relation characteristic of Adam and Eve (the man leaves his father and mother for his wife). Since the relation between Adam and Eve is one involving an erotic bond, this suggests an erotic bond between Ruth and Naomi.
Moreover: Ruth is suggested as performing the role that a man traditionally preforms (he leaves mother and father for his wife). This is a gender-bending performance. Ruth also sexually seduces Boaz, a role traditionally performed by the man (the word “feet” is a euphemism for cock—and it occurs repeatedly in the description of Ruth’s seduction of Boaz). It’s another gender-bending performance. Ruth performs the work of harvesting in the field (a role traditionally performed by men); the men draw the water (a role traditionally performed by women). These are gender-bending performances.
Ruth gives birth to a son. He is the son of Ruth. But who else is he a son of? Intuitively, it’s Boaz. But the narrator never describes him as the son of Boaz. The narrator says “the LORD gave her conception, and she bore A son”, not “she bore HIM a son”. And none of the characters describe the child as the son of Boaz. The women of the neighborhood describe him as “the son of Naomi”: “a son has been born to Naomi”. This suggests that Naomi is performing the role of father. That’s what’s rendered salient in the text. It’s a gender-bending performance. Naomi also performs the role of mother, when she becomes the child’s nurse. It’s a gender-fluidity performance.
Gender-bending and gender-fluidity performances are associated with homoeroticism. It invokes the impression that the relation between Ruth and Naomi is one involving an erotic bond.
Female-female homoeroticism: Ruth and Naomi. The homoerotic hypothesis says: there is an erotic bond between Ruth and Naomi. That is: there is companionate love between them, and it is (to some degree) sexually mediated. The heteronormative hypothesis denies this. It says “they’re just friends”.
When Ruth expresses her commitment to Naomi, she is described by the narrator as “clinging” to Naomi: “Ruth clung to her”. The Hebrew verb that is translated as “clinging” is also translated as “cleaving”. When a relation between two people is described that way, it is unique in the scriptural tradition. It communicates something specific in the tradition.
It starts off from the very beginning: it describes the relation between Adam and Eve: “ Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh”. “ Becoming one flesh” is a euphemism for a sexual union. So, then describing the relation between Ruth and Naomi as “clinging” is suggestive of an erotic bond.
This is reinforced by Boaz’s description of their relation: “ all that you have done for your mother-in-law, since the death of your husband has been finally told me, and how you LEFT YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER and your native land, and came to a people that you did not know before”. This description invites a comparison between the relation between Ruth and Naomi (Ruth leaves her mother and father for Naomi), and the relation characteristic of Adam and Eve (the man leaves his father and mother for his wife). Since the relation between Adam and Eve is one involving an erotic bond, this suggests an erotic bond between Ruth and Naomi.
Moreover: Ruth is suggested as performing the role that a man traditionally preforms (he leaves mother and father for his wife). This is a gender-bending performance. Ruth also sexually seduces Boaz, a role traditionally performed by the man (the word “feet” is a euphemism for cock—and it occurs repeatedly in the description of Ruth’s seduction of Boaz). It’s another gender-bending performance. Ruth performs the work of harvesting in the field (a role traditionally performed by men); the men draw the water (a role traditionally performed by women). These are gender-bending performances.
Ruth gives birth to a son. He is the son of Ruth. But who else is he a son of? Intuitively, it’s Boaz. But the narrator never describes him as the son of Boaz. The narrator says “the LORD gave her conception, and she bore A son”, not “she bore HIM a son”. And none of the characters describe the child as the son of Boaz. The women of the neighborhood describe him as “the son of Naomi”: “a son has been born to Naomi”. This suggests that Naomi is performing the role of father. That’s what’s rendered salient in the text. It’s a gender-bending performance. Naomi also performs the role of mother, when she becomes the child’s nurse. It’s a gender-fluidity performance.
Gender-bending and gender-fluidity performances are associated with homoeroticism. It invokes the impression that the relation between Ruth and Naomi is one involving an erotic bond.