in jail (Damrosch & Pike, 2009, Vol. A). Joseph eventually gains Pharaoh’s trust through dream interpretations, warning Pharaoh of an approaching famine in the land. Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams impress Pharaoh, who gives Joseph a special status in Egypt.
Alternatively, the ornamental robe, as depicted in the biblical account, indicates royalty and priesthood. By giving the robe to Joseph, Jacob was handing down the honor that was given to him when God made the covenant with Jacob and renamed him Israel. The significance of an ornamented and sleeveless gown indicated there was not a need to labor and toil for a living, which also helped to instigate the brothers’ feelings of rejection and jealousy toward Joseph. The relationship
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When Joseph tested their trustworthiness and forgave them for what they had done to him, the brothers realized how wrong they had been, even doubting their own worthiness. When Joseph is judging his brother’s behavior to see if they have truly reformed, Joseph’s moral character is revealed through his dealings with his brothers. Although Joseph’s intentions are initially perplexing, his ultimate acts of forgiveness reflect a transformed humility (McConville, 2013, p. 637). When Joseph accuses his brothers and imprisons them, then sends them back to retrieve the Benjamin, it is difficult to detect Joseph’s motive. The question of why Joseph is concealing his identity as well as acknowledging that he is driven to find out if his father is still alive leads to an understanding that Joseph “is a person coming to terms with his inner conflict of both private interests and his public role (McConville, 2013, p. 639). The concealment of his identity and the question as to why he did not try to contact his family previously to his brothers’ plea for food, confirms his inner conflict with his public and private roles. The theme of transformation throughout the story and is evident when Joseph is transformed from boyhood to a slave, and then to become an officer in Pharaoh’s court, even though he was a