The Seventh Veil of Salome

Both Salome and Vera’s storylines largely revolve around the archetype of doomed lovers, as each woman falls in love with a man who comes from an extremely different economic and cultural world. These relationships form the core of the theme of Fated Love Despite Obstacles. Jokanaan is a Jewish man and a penniless prophet who has renounced everything to fulfill what he perceives as a divine mission; Salome comes from wealth and luxury and is not depicted as Jewish (historically, her ancestors had converted to Judaism as a way to assert their legitimacy as rulers of the region). Nonetheless, Salome is convinced that “in every epoch, in every disguise, she would have loved him” (219). Moreno-Garcia thus adapts the motivations introduced in Wilde’s play, where Salome is fueled by unrequited desire after the prophet spurns her. Rather than feeling simply lust, Moreno-Garcia’s Salome longs for genuine connection and a relationship with Jokanaan. Salome even offers to run away with Jokanaan, which would represent a significant sacrifice on her part.

The relationship between Vera and Jay inverts these dynamics. As the scion of a wealthy, white American family (and as a man), Jay is in the position of privilege and very much the opposite of Vera. Moreover, unlike Salome, he is (at least at this point) notably unwilling to jeopardize his standing with his family, as evidenced by his desire to keep his relationship with Vera a secret. While Jay and Vera remain together despite these obstacles, the foreshadowing that has been present throughout the novel strongly implies that the relationship’s resolution will be tragic. Even the scenes in which Jay and Vera are depicted as idealized lovers, young and beautiful, are tinged with nostalgia and fatalism. Poetic imagery such as “against the whiteness of the bedsheets her hair was a glossy river of black” heightens the tragic beauty of the doomed encounters between Jay and Vera (231).

Salome has two competing motivations for what the dance could offer her: either Jokanaan’s freedom, if she requests that as her reward, or her own power, if she complies with Agrippa’s plan and requests Jokanaan’s death. Either way, the dance is an action she freely chooses, knowing that she can utilize her body to work toward her goals: “[S]he’d do it. She’d bare her shoulders and her legs and her breasts” (217). This portrayal of Salome’s psychology and motivations, which cultural representations of Salome have typically neglected, suggests that in the context of a patriarchal society, a woman can leverage the male gaze, wielding her body and sexuality to serve her ambitions. This feminist reinterpretation of Salome’s story is particularly pertinent when paired with the Hollywood storyline. The figure of the female performer, first on stage and then eventually on film, has historically been controversial and sexualized (and even equated to sex work). In both Salome's and Vera’s storylines, a woman revealing her body becomes an act that is empowering rather than merely intended to please the viewers, and this reimagining contributes to the theme of Consequences of Women’s Desire and Ambitions.

As Salome becomes more aware that dancing for Herod will create an opportunity for her to realize her ambitions, Vera similarly becomes more assertive and willing to stand up for herself. At the start of the novel, she shrugs off racist comments, but now she reacts by slapping Nancy when Nancy uses a racist slur on set. Her response is all the more notable given the taboo surrounding physical displays of rivalry and competition between women. Nancy and Salome will go on to use violent means to pursue their ambitions, but they channel their violence through men: Nancy persuades Benny to act on her behalf, while Salome will ask for Jokanaan’s death rather than carrying it out directly. The taboo against female violence mirrors the taboos against female sexuality and shows how women find alternate means of exercising agency within patriarchal societies.

That the novel’s indictment of patriarchy’s impact on women extends to Nancy (e.g., her frustrated career ambitions, her vulnerability to censure and blackmail, etc.) is part of what makes her a complex character. Nancy is presented as a villain, and she undoubtedly causes pain and tragedy. However, her motivations are not substantially different from the goals cherished by Vera and Salome: Nancy wants agency, power, and freedom over her own life. This conflict between Nancy and Vera powerfully illustrates the theme of The Dangers of Jealousy, as Nancy’s envy not only results in a violent death but also permanently scuttles her career and forecloses any possibility of solidarity between two women with a great deal in common.