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tively. But before we turn to these other examples, it is important
that we should scrutinize the gender roles of Abraham, Ishmael
and Isaac and how they interact with other social categories of
identity.
In the story of Abraham, the presenter/teller/writer seemingly
presents him as unconcerned about a son. It seems it is all Sarah’s
concern and worry. Abraham seems to helplessly obey his wife—
first, to go into the slave girl; second, to remind Sarah that he is
still the mistress over Hagar, and third, to reluctantly throw the
slave girl out. In every way, Sarah seems to wield so much power.
But the reader/hearer must not forget that first, she wields power
in the private sphere of the home. Second, that the offspring that
she brings forth will bear, not her name, but that of Abraham. He
will also inherit Abraham’s property. Third, the gender stereotype
of associating women with jealous and evil informs this story, but
like others, it veils the fact that jealous and competitiveness
amongst women is usually an indication of their lack of power and
dependence on men (husbands, fathers, sons and bosses at work).
In short, Sarah’s concerns are to fulfill Abraham’s unspoken desires,
who needs a son to carry his name and to inherit his property
(Gen15: 1-6). Lastly, it is Abraham who is promised a nation
through Isaac, not Sarah. It is Isaac who inherits property, not
Sarah. So power is hardly in the hands of Sarah despite the
presentation of the story.
Coming to the two offspring of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, it is
notable that both of them are sons. No daughter is born to Hagar
and Sarah. What are their roles? They are both promised nations
“their offspring will be greatly multiplied,” but they shall be distinct.
Second, they are property inheritors, but we see that class
militates against Ishmael. That is although he is male and shall be
a father of nations, he is denied inheritance and Abraham’s name,
since he is a son of an Egyptian slave woman—Hagar. This inequality
is a planted seed within the story that grooms and legitimates
racism—the looking down of the nation that originates from
Ishmael. The story is certainly not written from the perspective of
Ishmael and his descendants. It is written from the perspective of
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