Community is one of the most crucial aspects of the human experience. Connection with others is something that is craved by, but not attained by, all. Pride is one of the main attributes that can lead to a lack of community. When a person is prideful they become a thorn to others around them and are unable to connect deeply with people. When humility is apparent however, these connections can be developed because the person is able to admit when they are wrong others can gather around them in comfort. In “Paradise Saved (Another Version of the Fall)”, A. D. Hope reworks a familiar biblical story to clearly show, through the specific use of pronouns and the description of Adam and Eve’s character, that pride leads to a life of solitude but humility leads to community. In his poem, Hope presents a variation of the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
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In the biblical story after Eve eats of the forbidden fruit she gives some to Adam and he also eats of it. In, “Paradise Saved (Another Version of the Fall)” however, only Eve eats of the fruit. We are told, “Adam, indignant, would not eat with Eve.” This leads to only Eve having to leave the garden. As the poem continues God gives Eve another “helpmeet”, but Adam is left in solitude. Adam watches in envy as Eve has a life with her new partner. This contrasts the biblical story in which Adam and Eve together start a new life outside of the garden. One key turning point in the poem is between the two stanzas when there is a shift in the pronoun used for Eve. In the first stanza singular pronouns are used for Adam and Eve. They are referred to as, “he and him” and “she and her”. Hope carefully chose these pronouns for a specific purpose. They show some of the division between Adam and Eve. They are described as two separate people, as opposed to a team. In the second stanza, however, after Eve has received a new partner she is no longer mentioned as “she” but as “them”; a team with her new partner. As Adam watches Eve and her new partner, from paradise, he seems envious. This is shown by the fact that he watched the, “day after day.”; seemingly unable to tear himself away. It is not the actions of “growing old, breaking the harsh unfriendly ground, bearing their children or dying” that Adam is envious of, as these do not seem like appealing things. Instead he is envious of “them”. He is envious of the fact that Eve and her partner experience all these things together while “he” is still on his own. Along with a noticeable shift in pronoun use, Hope also gives his reader and understand of the character of both Adam and Eve and the contrast between them. In Hope’s poem, the characters of Adam and Eve are greatly contrast. The first, and most obvious contrast is that Adam did not eat of the fruit as Eve did. The poem tells us that Adam was indignant and would not eat with Eve. This gives the impression that Adam was mad at Eve for eating the fruit; that he was quite happy with himself for not falling to the same temptation as she was. Eve, however, as we are told, cried as she was forced from the garden. This shows Eve’s repentance for what she has done. It shows that she understands the weight of her sin and has taken responsibility for it. Eve displays humility in this case. Adam on the other hand, although he cannot help but grieve as his partner leaves the garden, is “upheld by his pride”. He does not realize the sin he exhibits in his pride, and instead displays arrogance. He deals with his sin very differently than Eve; partially this is caused by the fact that he is not forced to leave the garden as Eve is. Eve is forced to realize her sin because she has to leave paradise; Adam is not forced to, though, because he remains in paradise. The great contrast between the pride of Adam and the humility of Eve is the main
In the biblical story after Eve eats of the forbidden fruit she gives some to Adam and he also eats of it. In, “Paradise Saved (Another Version of the Fall)” however, only Eve eats of the fruit. We are told, “Adam, indignant, would not eat with Eve.” This leads to only Eve having to leave the garden. As the poem continues God gives Eve another “helpmeet”, but Adam is left in solitude. Adam watches in envy as Eve has a life with her new partner. This contrasts the biblical story in which Adam and Eve together start a new life outside of the garden. One key turning point in the poem is between the two stanzas when there is a shift in the pronoun used for Eve. In the first stanza singular pronouns are used for Adam and Eve. They are referred to as, “he and him” and “she and her”. Hope carefully chose these pronouns for a specific purpose. They show some of the division between Adam and Eve. They are described as two separate people, as opposed to a team. In the second stanza, however, after Eve has received a new partner she is no longer mentioned as “she” but as “them”; a team with her new partner. As Adam watches Eve and her new partner, from paradise, he seems envious. This is shown by the fact that he watched the, “day after day.”; seemingly unable to tear himself away. It is not the actions of “growing old, breaking the harsh unfriendly ground, bearing their children or dying” that Adam is envious of, as these do not seem like appealing things. Instead he is envious of “them”. He is envious of the fact that Eve and her partner experience all these things together while “he” is still on his own. Along with a noticeable shift in pronoun use, Hope also gives his reader and understand of the character of both Adam and Eve and the contrast between them. In Hope’s poem, the characters of Adam and Eve are greatly contrast. The first, and most obvious contrast is that Adam did not eat of the fruit as Eve did. The poem tells us that Adam was indignant and would not eat with Eve. This gives the impression that Adam was mad at Eve for eating the fruit; that he was quite happy with himself for not falling to the same temptation as she was. Eve, however, as we are told, cried as she was forced from the garden. This shows Eve’s repentance for what she has done. It shows that she understands the weight of her sin and has taken responsibility for it. Eve displays humility in this case. Adam on the other hand, although he cannot help but grieve as his partner leaves the garden, is “upheld by his pride”. He does not realize the sin he exhibits in his pride, and instead displays arrogance. He deals with his sin very differently than Eve; partially this is caused by the fact that he is not forced to leave the garden as Eve is. Eve is forced to realize her sin because she has to leave paradise; Adam is not forced to, though, because he remains in paradise. The great contrast between the pride of Adam and the humility of Eve is the main