Batsheva's Controversy: A Short Story

Isaac and his family were only interested in what Batsheva would bring home as a dowry. His mother and sister were already examining the riches from America even before the marriage ceremony. Isaac’s mother so jealous of Batsheva and her riches steps on her wedding dress leaving the ugly imprint of her dirty shoes. Batsheva finds herself sitting all alone on her first night trying to unbutton her dress wherein her husband was nowhere to be seen and all of Batsheva’s dreams are crushed. Batsheva who had high hopes and dreams about her wedding day, felt all her dreams coming to an end on the first day itself when Isaac grabs all the envelops which Batsheva had accidentally thrown on the floor without even noticing her standing there waiting for

Isaac eventually starts telling her what kind of dresses and shoes to wear instructing her that she was not allowed to wear Red or any other colourful cloths that stood out and how her shoes had to be closed with low chunky heels. All that Batsheva did was looked upon by her mother in law like a disapproving governess and she never hesitated to humiliated her every time in front of people gathered, criticizing her for everything she did, right from the way she ritually washed her hands to the way she positioned her hands when holding the cup. On the other hand, her life was controlled by her husband who thought her what to speak and when to speak when his scholars and Rabbis came home. She was asked to make tea for them and instructed to slide in the kitchen silently when their discussions began and even though Batsheva understood very well what they spoke and was anxious to hear and participate, she was not allowed to even hear them speak. She who had always dreamed of being loved and admired by a man was furious by his behaviour and felt a deep contempt against

The only thing that made her happy was reading her favourite novels which she got from America and her photography. Even after a year of marriage, Isaac knew nothing about her and she was like a total stranger to him. When he finds out that she went out in the city staying out at night to capture the perfect picture of dawn in Jerusalem he is filled with fury and believing that it was his duty to guide her and to point out the dangers he starts exerting his authority on her and showing his power taking full control of her life and over what she did. When he discovers that Batsheva had a package of books by D.H Lawrence he rips all the books into half, throws it on the floor and tramples the pages with his heel. “This....... filth you do not bring into our home!” (147) telling her that she will not read any books as the wife of Isaac Mayer