Jealousy Quotes in The Red Tent

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Bilhah barely breathed as the moments passed and her arms remained empty, but she said nothing. By law, this son belonged to Rachel. (1.3.20)

Now the jealousy shifts to Bilhah, who seems in most ways to be the least prideful sister. We can see here how much a child means to a mother—and how jealousy can erupt in even the most loving of sisters.

Quote #8

Rachel's old anger at Leah flared at that, but it vanished when she discovered that Joseph was a fretful baby who screamed and squirmed until he lay in his own mother's arms. (1.3.120)

As you can see, Rachel is a pretty jealous woman. Hmm, maybe the gods punished her jealousy by giving her years of miscarriages? The miscarriages, at any rate, certainly Rachel's problem even worse the more they happen.

Quote #9

She was no longer a child but a woman. I felt my cheeks grow warm with envy as hers grew pink with pride. (2.5.44)

Dinah feels the same way a lot of us do when going through puberty. It's almost like a race, and Dinah is losing to Tabea. And that's kind of bad, because it could mean that Tabea might snatch up the hot husband material first.