In patriarchal Jewish society, women are expected to repress their sexual urges for the sake of chastity. Even the mildest public displays of affection were scorned (8:1). The woman's brothers offer the best illustration of this rule in verse 8:8: “We have a little sister who has no breasts. What will we do for our sister when the suitors besiege her? The men of the family choose to ignore the Shulamite's maturity and autonomy. In fact, in verse 8:9, it is clear that they view the sister property as controlled: “If it is a wall, then on top of it We will build a silver tower. If it is a door, we will bar it with cedar beams. Her lover also idolizes female virginity in verse 4:12: “A closed garden is my sister, my bride, a hidden well, a sealed spring.” In verse 8:10 we see the Shulammite's response to her brothers: “I am a wall, and my breasts are towers. But to my lover I am a city of peace. Here, – challenging sociocultural norms – the Shulamite claims to be strong and capable; she gains independence by embracing her sexuality in the context of trust