John Milton’s Paradise Lost, with its literary, theological and cultural complexities, has given rise to feminist and anti-feminist readings of the First Couple, with particular emphasis on Eve. As the creature created from Adam’s rib to be his companion in a world otherwise populated only by beasts, Eve has been read to be a woman made to be subservient to Adam. The reality is far more complicated, as we see that Eve is in fact very eager in establishing her own identity, the pursuit of which ironically contributes to her Fall. Moreover, as the woman who has such a psychological hold over Adam as to compel him to join her in consuming a Forbidden Fruit, I contend Eve’s superiority in the power dynamics between husband and wife. While Eve may
…show more content…
The paradox is that in attempting to “be her own person” and making the decision to eat the Forbidden Fruit, she has in fact been manipulated by Satan, who convinces her that such a deed is virtuous and only serves to allow her to fulfill a greater destiny for herself, and for her offspring. It is also important to note that despite Satan’s devious, and quite frankly, very intelligent manipulation, and Eve’s vanity, the mental state that has made her susceptible to such an error in judgment had really been largely influenced by the contradicting views regarding her identity; God creates her from Adam, declares the two to be equal, but then indicates that Eve is subservient to God and Adam, an idea which Raphael reinforces by warning Adam that Eve is the weaker of the two and more susceptible to manipulation. All of these mixed messages created what can only be described as an identity crisis in Eve. Is she an equal or not? The frustration over her identity, coupled with the doubts that have arisen over her capabilities all served to push her to decide on an act of rebellion, something Satan has convinced her would not only show that she is Adam’s equal in being capable of thinking independently, but also grants her new knowledge to become better than she
The paradox is that in attempting to “be her own person” and making the decision to eat the Forbidden Fruit, she has in fact been manipulated by Satan, who convinces her that such a deed is virtuous and only serves to allow her to fulfill a greater destiny for herself, and for her offspring. It is also important to note that despite Satan’s devious, and quite frankly, very intelligent manipulation, and Eve’s vanity, the mental state that has made her susceptible to such an error in judgment had really been largely influenced by the contradicting views regarding her identity; God creates her from Adam, declares the two to be equal, but then indicates that Eve is subservient to God and Adam, an idea which Raphael reinforces by warning Adam that Eve is the weaker of the two and more susceptible to manipulation. All of these mixed messages created what can only be described as an identity crisis in Eve. Is she an equal or not? The frustration over her identity, coupled with the doubts that have arisen over her capabilities all served to push her to decide on an act of rebellion, something Satan has convinced her would not only show that she is Adam’s equal in being capable of thinking independently, but also grants her new knowledge to become better than she