Abortion and the single woman as literary tropes in the works of Amos Oz — Page 9:
41 Analogously to "Nomad and Viper" the initial introduction to the female protagonist is a not-too-subtle attack and derogation of the character’s physique, as typified in the opening passage related by the male hero, Eliezer. It is this passage that initially enables the reader a glimpse into the protagonist’s consciousness and alerts us to his attitude and treatment of Tova. It is worth reciting the passage in its entirety:
Tova, a simple name, a common name, which does not suit a young poetess. The same with her body: too big. Indeed, but only a little. A young woman with the body of a mother [. . .]. There is a surplus of fat in her arms, which is not too say is not soft. The flesh on her arms is in excess [. . .]. Her hair is dull, dark, but not black or brown, but a kind of grey, very dry. Eyes which I can not remember their colour, but I can not forget their parched weariness. Tiny wrinkles encircle her eyes [. . .]. It is not from the eyes that her mocking sadness stems, but certainly from the wrinkles around the eyes [. . .]. Her nose is a little weighty and her mouth betrays loneliness and tenderness [. . .] her forehead is white and arched, too large, as that of a man not a woman, as that of a balding old man [. . .] a strand of hair vertically falls on it trying to cover its bulk, but instead only accentuates its white aridness. Enough, I shall not continue with the excessive paleness of the cheeks. (Oz, "Kol" 255-256)
42 The preceding description typifies the approach taken by the author towards Tova: all the narrative's weirdness attaches to her. She is incessantly denigrated and belittled by Eliezer, who in his recollection of their ephemeral encounter permeates his anecdote with a litany of unkind descriptions concentrating on her grotesque and odd behaviour. Tova is depicted as the ‘Other’ in the de-Beauvoirian sense, in that she is the stranger, and like the Arab or the nomad, encompasses disgust and seduction (9). And it is certainly true that throughout the story Tova's sickness and unflattering behaviour as the terminable spinster, isolated and desperate for a husband, is foregrounded. In fact, the narrator takes pride in his ability to engage in a detached and devastating critique of Tova's mien: "I have the power to fearlessly take hold of pincers and extract from Tova's face detail by detail and present it to you with cold accuracy" (Oz, "Kol" 92-93).
43 Conversely, the narrator's self-description relentlessly stresses and magnifies his virility, positing the absurd notion that being a bachelor is diametrically opposed to that of the pathetic unwed female. Here we encounter the inherent structural prejudice in the text. As we are repeatedly reminded, Eliezer is an ideogram of the Israeli macho icon: a decorated war hero, handsome, athletic, intelligent, logical and reasoned: "I am manager of the Kibbutz factory. I was given this responsibility as I am regarded as a practical, energetic man with initiative and imagination. That is, that is what they said in the general meeting in which I chosen. Maybe they took into account my military record in the Sinai war and in 3 military operations” (137). "During the summer I spend my free time in the pool. I achieved some excellent results in this sport. On Saturdays I have a place in the soccer team" (137).
44 Single by choice, he uses women as sex toys, perversely boasting of the time he humiliated a woman who fell in love with him: “I told Tova how once a married woman, older than me, who came to visit her relatives in the Kibbutz, fell in love with me from her first glance. She was ugly as a reptile, I played with her a little, to the enjoyment of all the youngsters, until she left, ashamed of herself” (135).
45 This premier misogynist, without a miasma of compassion, treats the girls with whom he has fleeting sexual relationships as objects. Thus, when one of the women with whom he has had casual affair is emotionally hurt and comes crying, he is unmoved: "No one forced you to come, and no one shed tears so you'll stay” (137). These passages are pivotal in establishing the disparate manner in which both protagonists are presented, and the overt lopsidedness in favour of the single male.