Anthro 116
Prof. Varisco
Mything the Point
A Lecture/Sermon on the Adam and Eve Story
 
Lecture
Responses to Lecture
Further Analysis
 
 
[This lecture was last given 10/12/00.
If you would like to respond, please email me at socdmv@hofstra.edu.]
 
The story of Adam and Eve is one of the most influential stories we, living here in America at the start of a very modern millennium, need to think about. The point of this lecture is to help you get the point that myth is alive and well. I will begin with three quotes, each more than two centuries old, and then proceed to a central thesis, explain the elements of that thesis and finally attempt to convince you that it would be quite stupid of us to ignore the fact that the old origin story of Adam and Eve continues to influence much of the way we behave with each other as males and females. If at anytime during this lecture you are offended by what I say, or quote, please understand that this will only strengthen my argument.
 
I
 
#1 "And when the woman saw that the tree was good to eat from and beautiful to look at, she took one of its fruits and ate, and gave it to her husband, and he ate too. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves." Genesis 2 (Mitchell translation)
 
#2 "Jack and Jill went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown
and Jill came tumbling after." (Mother Goose)
 
#3 "Her manners struck me as uncommon, and I began to feel uncomfortable; but under the squeezing of my cock, and the feeling of her cunt the usual desire to leave one's sperm up her came over me. 'Let me fuck you -- I''ll give you two shillings more.' Without reply she fell back on the bed, I began to throw up her clothes ... Then she turned around, twisting herself so that she could get hold of my cock as I stood pulling her about. 'Come on, my dear.' The next minute I was spending up her. 'Go on, you were so quick, -- go on,' said she in spasmodic utterances, jerking her bum, clutching me to her, and using the same endearments as any other woman, -- women are all the same, from the princess to the peasant. I had spent quickly, but shoved on as well as I could, and in a second or two with a sigh, her cunt relaxed." (Anonymous, From My Secret Life, 18th century)
 
On the surface, at first reading, it would seem that these three quotes are about as different as they could possibly be. The first is from the Bible, the most revered and sacred text in the Western World. Jews and Christians traditionally believed that this book was in effect written by God -- to question the truth of any part of it could in the past be grounds for punishment by the cruelest forms of torture and execution. Until little more than a century ago, most people in America and Europe took it as an incontrovertible fact that history began with a literal flesh-and-blood Adam and Eve, whose ensuing disobedience to their creator plunged the world into a vicious cycle of suffering and death. The second selection is a Mother Goose nursery rhyme. It is doubtful that anyone past the age of innocence ever took this frivolous ditty seriously. There may be a boxful of Jacks and several silly Jills, but when their fall took place, where it happened or even the question of whether such an incident ever really occurred never resulted -- to my knowledge -- in anyone's death; you could scoff at this tumble without fear of being burned at the stake. The difference between Holy Writ and a Nursery Rhyme is obvious, isn't it? The third quote is fiction; the subject -- an act of sex -- and the literally profane references to the genitals -- male and female -- mark it for most of us as "pornography." To include it in almost the same breath as a Bible story is, if no longer blasphemous, shocking even by today's less than rigid standards of acceptable pc persuasion. Most students go through their entire education here at Hofstra without hearing any of their non-literary professors utter taboo words for the genitals in class. Whether this is as it should be or not is up to you to decide; although I dare say these are words you are quite likely to hear said around you outside of class on a daily basis.
 
I would like to suspend, for an academic moment, our tendency to readily assign all three of these quotes to convenient literary categories along moral lines. Instead, let us focus on what these three quotes have in common, were we not predisposed by our own cultural upbringing to judge them on the basis of what they already "mean" to us. All three involve behavior of a male and a female. In each story it is the man who is the stronger, the one on top, so to speak. Adam was created first; Eve came along to keep him from being lonely. Eve was the one who was fooled by the serpent and then used her own feminine charms to seduce Adam. After the event God spoke to Adam first and it was Adam that would, as the creation story plainly says, rule over his wife in the new order of things. Jack went up the hill to do what needed to be done; while there is no suggestion that Jill might have tripped him, or distracted young Jack (jacking up her skirt, for example) from his fetching job, she is still the one who comes along behind, who probably falls over her own feet -- again an afterthought. And in the third example, it is the man who comes out first, literally and figuratively; actually in a modern reading he comes off rather well since he stays in long enough to give the woman he is paying some pleasure as well.
 
If I may continue to suspend our collective moral impulses just a moment longer, I find it interesting to compare the Adam and Eve story with the seduction scenario in the third quote. Adam and Eve were created naked without shame -- the way babies come into the world. The bare bones, if you will, of the story mention nothing explicitly about the sexual act, nor does the account mention the genitals directly as the parts that needed to be covered. However, commentators over the centuries have more often than not interpreted the seemingly innocuous plucking fruit off a tree in more than a poetic sense. Since it is after the fall that children begin to be begotten, it is hard to imagine Adam and Eve having sex, licit or illicit, oral or anal, before they understood the difference between good and evil. Since it used to be thought, and in some circles still is, that the story here describes a real event between two humans, it is a pity we are not given the literal blow-by-blow description such as we find in the third quote and must fall back on our own limited knowledge. Thus, it is not surprising that such a wide range of interpretations has evolved from the totally unanalytic to the wholly psychoanalytic. In the other seduction story the explicit references to the sexual act, while offending in their directness, clear up a lot of possible confusion. Here a man goes to a willing prostitute (a rush for cash deal) , who allows him to undress her and actively participates in what evolves into an orgasm for both. Ironically, were a similar scenario used for Adam and Eve, it would seem to us a quite natural thing for the first couple to do. (I avoid the moral issue of "prostitution" for money here, since that would not have been relevant in Eden when there was no cash and no "other woman" around .) In the same vein, in the second story the clothes are removed without a conscious sense of immodest shame but rather in a very "modern" sense that there is little to be ashamed about (assuming one does not get caught, a la Clinton) in being naked and having consensual sex. From the outside looking in, were my moral judgements not in collusion with my Christianized American heritage, I would probably find the third quote the clearest, the most realistic, and perhaps the most honest. Why, I might ask, is this possible?
 
II
 
The thesis or central point I wish to establish in this lecture is that the Adam and Eve story -- regardless of whether it is seen as literal history or allegorical myth -- has played the dominant symbolic role in justifying male mastery as core to our ongoing, collective American gender ideology. This thesis has three elements:
1. Male dominance has been the norm in the social evolution of gender and sex in Western civilization. ( I am only concerned here only with what happened after Europe became Christendom.)
2. Given the overt Christian influence on European and then American history, the Adam and Eve story has been continuously interpreted to justify gender and sex relations within Europe and as Europeans view other peoples and religions. (I am not concerned which, if any, of these interpretation is correct, but simply that the story has been used as a viable model throughout.)
3. Male dominance will continue to be the norm, even if mitigated by well-meaning laws and unthinking idealism, until such time as the power of the Adam and Eve myth is recognized as emblematic of such domination.
 
I view the first two parts of the thesis as unassailable. Concerning the first, if you examine what we commonly think is important in society -- such things as political power, control over resources, wealth, major religious roles, positive heroic roles in folklore and literature -- it is obvious even at a glance that in our Western tradition males have consistently predominated over females in all of these areas. Males not only have exercised overt control over females in the family and the public sphere, but this is validated through a religious symbolism in which the one Judaeo-Christian God has essentially masculine characteristics. One need not be a card-carrying "feminist" to read the endemic male bias in our history. A Martian anthropologist, coming to earth with no particular moral axe to grind, would see the historical factuality of male domination in a flash.
 
The second proposition is equally provable and rather well documented. A recent volume called Eve & Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender (1999) devotes almost 500 pages to excerpts of Adam & Eve commentary in all three monotheisms -- covering a span of over 2000 years of continual interest. Early Christian dogma is unequivocal in asserting God's hand in giving mastery over woman to man. St. Paul (in 1 Timothy 2:12-14) stated: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner." While certain passages of Scripture may be ambiguous, this one is not. As long as I Timothy remains a persuasive part of the holy canon, don't expect a female pope or a bishop or even a formal "priest" in the Catholic church. Tertullian, an apostolic father, elaborated on the nature of women a mere two centuries after Christ was born:
"And do you not know that you are (each) an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the devil's gateway: you are the unsealer of that (forbidden) tree: you are the first deserter of the divine law: you are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man. On account of your desert -- that is, death -- even the Son of God had to die." (Kvam et al. 1999:132).
Similar misogynist views can be found in Judaic and Islamic sources from all periods; for example, a rabbinical tradition that women's menstrual blood is symbolic of the fact she caused Adam's death and the Islamic tradition that Eve was created from a crooked rib as a metaphor of her untruthfulness. While not all accounts heap abuse on Eve alone, the clear trend has been to cite the story as an explanation of why women are the "weaker" sex and must serve men in order for men to serve God.
 
It is the third proposition that I suspect you will be reluctant to accept. Were the Adam and Eve story simply a dead myth, the kind of story it would be difficult to take seriously even if we wanted to, there would be little need for this lecture. Let me state my point again: not only has this story influenced the way we idealize gender relations and what we consider shameful with our sexuality; it still serves, after all these years and myriads of interpretations, as a microcosm of the way we actually do behave as a society. American women have made major gains in this century, including the right to vote and the opportunity to divorce, but there is still no gender equality in America. There will be no female president in the near future, no major religious leaders who are female, no woman who garners the wealth of a Bill Gates by the sweat of her own brow. What women do, as compared to what men do will continue to be less admired -- by women and men alike -- except for whatever women do to stroke the male ego. I recognize that societies exist with rampant male chauvanism yet without any Adam and Eve in their religious heritage. I am not arguing that the myth creates such chauvanism; just that this myth serves so well to reinforce male domination even when we literally think we are not taking it seriously.
 
I need to demonstrate that the influence of this myth exists independent of how we view it, even when we remain totally unaware of it on a daily basis. For those of you who might take Adam and Eve literally, there is a cozy fit, is there not, to our continuing reality of the working man, Adam, and the weaker-willed wife whose job it is to wait on him and bear his children. Just as man is not the equal of God, nor the church as a spiritual bride equal to the Son of God, woman never has been and in this life never can be the equal of man. It is common to hear people say that we are all equal in the eyes of God. Reality suggests otherwise, that at least in this life certain kinds of people tend to be more equal than others. For those who are quite convinced that this creation scenario is a bunch of bunk, either a conscious attempt to undo the rival fertility religions of ancient Canaan or simply a blatant excuse for barely unbridled male power , the biblical origin myth seems far removed from the human evolution science now traces from ape-like ancestors over the past five million years. Adam and Eve can be easily ridiculed -- along with Noah's universal flood and Jonah getting swallowed by a whale -- as yet another example of why you can't trust religious dogmatists to accept rational progress. But you can be a blistering atheist without batting an eye at the supposed superiority of males over females. Most atheists I know are still ashamed to go out in public stark naked. Recognizing Adam and Eve as mere myth does not undo the fact that the gender and sex roles it models go on just the same or that other myths can be found to fulfill the same symbolic function. And for those of you -- probably in a silent and therefore mediocre majority -- who have little or no interest in thinking about what this story might mean, your ignorance of what we can document about the influence of this story hardly frees you from the fossilized gender ideology you were born into and will no doubt die out of.
 
At this point I may have succeeded in seducing you -- in a weak moment -- into considering the possibility that further understanding of the meanings attributed to the Adam and Eve story -- past and present -- is a fruitful intellectual exercise. If nothing else, I doubt few in this room would staunchly defend a literal interpretation of the story, nor would you admit, at least openly, that Tertullian was on to something in defining women away as the "devil's gateway." But knowing that here is a story that has been distorted time and time again to justify various degrees of male exploitation of females is only a first step. If the Adam and Eve story fits, like a glove, our operational models of male chauvanism, we are still no closer to understanding why that chauvanism appeared in the first place and what might be done to undo it. Myth does not make things happen the way they do; the genius of its power is that we spend so much time arguing about it that we neglect to see through it.
 
III
 
Here I will suggest a second step as part of an approach to see why it is we behave the way we do as males and females. Although this will no doubt appear unorthodox, I will offer yet a new reading of the Adam and Eve story. Actually it is my intent not to re-read the story for the umpteenth time as much as to read against it, to deconstruct it with what might better be called an "anti-reading."
 
Let us assume, for the sake of an unorthodox argument that the Adam and Eve story is the antithesis of what it suggests. What kind of a gender ideology would evolve if we reverse the elements in the story. Suppose, then, that God was essentially female and she created a woman, Eve, as the crowning achievement of her creation week. This female was given dominion over all the earth and even was asked to name, thereby giving meaning, all the other animals God had created. However, the female was lonely, so God caused her to go into a deep sleep and from a rib in her right side created Adam, the first man. God planted a garden and put the couple here with only one condition: they were not supposed to eat of any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now, one of God's creations, the serpent, was very ugly but pure and good in character. So the serpent came to Adam as he lay asleep. As the deformed snake slithered over his hand, Adam awoke with a start and was so repulsed at the slimy shape he felt in his hand that he hurled it as far away as he could. The snake, however, cried out to Adam not to be afraid because he had an important message. The message was to obey God's command and not be tempted to eat the fruit of any tree except that of the knowledge of good and evil, that which defined what was moral. The man, however, ran straight to the woman and said, "That ugly snake said we had better not eat from the other trees, but it is so awful looking that I don't think we should listen to anything it says." The woman cautioned Adam, saying, "Look, this tree is good enough for us -- it teaches us everyday what is good and what is evil." "Alright," said Adam in a weak moment, "so let's take some fruit from the tree right now and then we will know what to do." So they ate from the tree God had given them and their eyes were opened immediately. They saw they were naked, but they felt no shame. The snake now appeared to be beautiful beyond measure and became a good and trusted friend to both. Soon God came walking towards them in the garden, and they ran laughing -- naked as the day they were born -- to greet her. This was the start of the human race. Adam and Eve had many children, all God-fearing and without shame. No murder, no incest, no rape. These were our parents, communing with our God and loving each other as they were created to do. This is the way the world began. Of course, that was a long time ago and things are different today.
 
My anti-reading may seem silly to you, excessively so. But imagine, just for a moment, if the real Adam and Eve story had gone something like this. Imagine that we had a charter myth that proclaimed equality, that did not see the human body as something to be ashamed of and covered, that did not view sex as leading in a direction opposite to that of God. Obviously such a myth would have little value in our society for it would be at odds with the way men and women really act.
 
There are, of course, many theories as to why men tend to dominate women cross-culturally. We are not certain this has always been the case. Our earliest religious symbols focus on the female body as a symbol of fertility and creation -- suggesting that the female body may once have been the most sacred object men or women could imagine. Our fellow primates have their share of male chauvanism, to be sure, yet our closest living relatives -- the bonobo chimpanzees -- are rather close to being gender egalitarian socially and seem to have no qualms about sexual orientation of any kind. Perhaps it is in the genes -- testosterone surges and estrogen to put up with all the male madness, but I have my doubts that chemical formulas are any more causal than myth in determining human behavior. Perhaps it is all a developmental psychosis, just the way we mature; but the endless speculation in psychoanalysis seems to me little more than a self-fulfilling male fantasy. I've had my full of the Oedipal; Freud's worship of the libido is as mythic as any other origin story. Perhaps it is simply a matter of strength -- men had to move rocks, women had to move men to move the rocks. Is the "Flintstones" more than Hollywood fantasy? For myself, I am not sure what advantage brute strength has over a mother's love and a fools' insatiable curiosity.
 
It is no secret than men have a long history of lording it over women, but our species' history is full of ideas that belong on the ash-heap rather than in our evolving consciousness. Few of us still think the earth is flat or goblins will devour us if we venture out at night. We say that it is good to be rational, to have medicine that conquers disease, to pursue peace rather than wage war, to be nice to children, to love our neighbors (sometimes even our enemies), to have mutual respect and affection between men and women. Are these ideals just meant to be unreachable goals? Is it just politically correct to say we want them? Are we so dead certain of our own fallibilities that we don't take any of these goals seriously. History repeats itself, right? There's nothing new under the sun, right? You can't get blood from a turnip, right? So if men are on top, they will stay on top -- even without the helping hand of the Judaeo-Christian God. So goes the story.
 
The Adam and Eve myth is a charter that says humans never did get it right and blew it from the start. It rather clearly states that God set up a world where women are there to serve men. According to the doctrine of original sin, the origin of sin is because of woman. It further suggests that our bodies are something to be ashamed about; we humans need to reproduce but we should not enjoy it. Sex, like shit, happens, but polite people try to pretend -- at times -- it doesn't. If you think we are damned -- I think this word is the appropriate word here -- to always think this way; that we have no hope of a society in which men and women actually treat each other as equals in a meaningful social sense; that naked torsos and words that describe the standard genitalia we are all born with are invariably to be giggled over rather than treated as patently normal and unthreatening -- then I suggest you are still very much the spiritual descendants of that first pair in Genesis. You may not know your ancestry, but it is written all over your actions and your inactions. Adam and Eve is not a myth, even though it is clearly nothing but a myth, if you relive it day in and day out. To conclude -- I hope you don't myth my point.
 RESPONSES
The aim of the lecture is to stimulate discussion. Consider this the start of an e-discussion on the role of the "Adam and Eve" story. Send in your responses for posting here. Feel free to respond to other people's responses. I will try to update this site as quickly as I can.
 
#1 [10/28/99] In response to the Adam and Eve lecture:
 
For some reason, I am not currently able to access your web page so I will just respond to the lecture based on what I can remember and the few notes that I took.

At more than one point in the lecture, you mentioned the view that Eve was entirely responsible for the origin of sin and that all of the blame should be placed on her. Probably as expected, I disagree with this viewpoint. Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the fruit and she succumbed to that temptation. Likewise, Adam was tempted by Eve to eat the fruit and he succumbed to that temptation. The blame should not be placed on Eve alone. Even God recognized that when he punished both Eve and Adam for eating the fruit. Just because both of them tried to shift the blame--Adam to Eve and Eve to the serpent, does not mean that the blame was not their own.

 
Another aspect of the myth that was touched upon was its association with sex. A comment that was made at some point in this discussion was that sex was not meant to be enjoyed. The lecture discussed how in the Adam and Eve myth, the naked human body is used to show that they had done something wrong because they suddenly where aware of their nakedness and felt that it was inappropriate. According to the perspective presented, it was not the naked body itself, but the sexuality that it represented after the fruit had been eaten. I think the implication is that sexuality has a negative connotation because it was brought into light only after the fall. However, I disagree with this. God knows that sex is enjoyable. He created us in a way that it would be an enjoyable experience for us. You mentioned in class Solomon, which is a story in the Bible that talks about the sexual relations of a man and a woman. Many people are surprised to find such a book in the Bible. But God knows that sex is enjoyable, and He wants us to enjoy it. Of course, He intended it to be an experience shared only in marriage.
 
One comment I did agree with relates to the effect that myth still has even on today's society. You mentioned that even an atheist would still be embarassed to go out in public stark naked. This is a good example of how myth has shaped society. Everyone in our society is affected by myth in certain ways because society itself has been molded by it.

I hope that those comments were of the type you wanted. I look forward to read others' responses to the lecture. Perhaps when I am able to reread the lecture as well as some of the responses, I will respond more myself.

 
-- Kendra Redin
 
#2 [11/2/99] After listening to your sermon and reading it again on the Internet, I believe that you make some very good points. Before I took this course I really never gave the Adam and Eve myth much thought. I was brought up through the teachings of Christianity and I understood the myth, but I never really believed that this myth could still have an effect on our gender behaviors today.
 
By reading the myth and listening to your sermon, I now see how powerful a myth can be. The Adam and Eve myth is not just a story told for pleasure; rather, it justifies male domination. Since Eve was made out of man and she came second, women should be inferior to men. At least, that is what some people think. Although I don't necessarily agree with this ideology, it definitely has existed in past history and still plagues our society today. In the past, women were not allowed to vote, join the army, or own private property. Even today, women are still treated differently than males. Although it is possible, many women still do not hold high rank positions in businesses This is because many people developed and still hold beliefs that females should be lower than males.
  
A point that you brought up which I agree with is that the Adam and Eve myth can be used to justify why people hold these beliefs today; however, the myth does not provide a reason of why male dominance or female inferiority first started. It might have had to do with the hormones that we are made up with. It also might be because males are seen as being physically stronger than females. Although these might sound like good theories, it is virtually impossible to determine the original cause of these gender behaviors. What we do know is that the Adam and Eve myth only provides us with reasons of why we might have these beliefs.
 
I also agree that this ideology will continue until we all see how powerful the Adam and Eve myth really is in relation to our gender behaviors. Once we see the effects of the myth, we then have to change our beliefs. In other words, people have to stop using the myth to codify their beliefs. People need to change their way of thinking and treat all people equally. This of course, is easier said than done.
 
By listening to your sermon, I can now see how the Adam and Eve myth still effects our gender behaviors today. This myth is not just a story that is told by different religious leaders, rather it is a powerful force that affects our society today. Just as a side note, I also liked the comparison you made with the mother goose nursery rhyme. Although everybody probably considers this to be a harmless story, it does show the women is inferior to the male. She followed him up the hill, and then she came tumbling down with him. It is interesting to see how the ideology that we developed from the Adam and Eve myth is even seen in children's literature.
 
-- Dawn Rinckey
#3 [11/17/99] When I heard your sermon in class, the idea of women being inferior to men stuck out as an important aspect in today's society. When growing up, I always knew about the Adam and Eve myth because it was taught to us in religious school. Such points as inferiority between male and female and the association of sex were not taught. After the sermon, it made me realize how this myth plays an important role in our society.
 
God made sex to be an enjoyable act between two people in love. He did not perceive this as not pleasurable, yet after they realized that they were naked they became uncomfortable. This was only after the fruit was eaten.
 
I believe that Adam and Eve is a sexist myth. First, we learn that Eve was developed from Adams ribs. This is a sign of a sexist symbol. Also, the serpent seduces Eve to try to eat the apple and she is tempted and so falls for this. He knows that Adam is the smart man and knows better. Supposedly man knows that this is a temptation and will not eat the apple.
 
This myth does affect us. For example, years ago in a family setting, we would suggest that the man works to make the money to support his family. Women would stay home and care for the child, cook and clean the house. Women we not able to do many other things as well. Today that perception is still true yet it has changed remarkably. Women do have jobs just as men do. Although men tend to receive a higher position in many companies. Men are also seen as stronger, they should lift the boxes, and do other tasks. Unfortunately, there has never been a true equality between the genders. Everyone should be treated equal, and in some instances we find this as true
and other times we don't.
 
-- Rachel Henenberg
 
#4 [11/14/99] As I see it, myth is an explanation that is created by society to justify their actions that might be otherwise questioned. I believe that sex has been known to be pleasureable from the beginning of time. I feel that society has created the taboo regarding the genitals and sex to accomodate for people's insecurities. I believe that this could have stemmed from some early practices that deemed the genitals "sacred." As a result, around the world different restrictions are placed on sex. An example would be abstinence until marriage amongst the Catholics. I do not think that the myth came first. I think that the sexual innuendos and insecurities came to produce such a story. I have a comment regarding the idea that this myth would have far less impact on society if the story lines changed. I do not think that this is true. I believe that this version would insinuate feminist action groups to return to the female power and I further believe that the justice system of laws would be significantly altered regarding such acts as prostitution, voyeurism and public exposure. These crimes would be basically null and void. This I believe to be a great impact on today's society that incorporates the ideal of right and wrong and also effects the law system that is based on these premises.
 
---DenaLeigh Forman
#5 [11/15/99] It is apparent to me that the Adam and Eve myth can easily be viewed as sexist. As you pointed out in your lecture, the Adam and Eve myth has played a significant role in our views of men and women in society. I think this is due to the fact that many in our society view the Bible as a book to live by. And, as a result of the Adam and Eve myth, women are viewed and portrayed as inferior to men. This has happened because many religious faiths believe in the Old Testament and study it for moralistic guidelines. Therefore, if the Old Testament portrays Eve, and all women, as "second class citizens" then it must be so. This attitude is obviously ridiculous. I think that society has given the author of then Book of Genesis far too much credence. I, personally, do not take the story literally. I think it is a simple myth that attempts to explain one possible theory, or opinion, on creation.
 
I do not think that all male chavanism originates from this myth but I think a good portion can be attributed to this myth as it layed the foundation for the justification of male dominance in this world. I think that other cultures and societies that do not study the Bible, but treat woman as inferior anyway, do so because they have followed the lead of societies like ours that view women as we do. I'm also surprised at St. Paul's comments. Does he not realize that without Mary, there would be no Jesus? Does he think that he has more authority than the Mother of God simply because he is male. Tertullian called women the "devil's gateway." Again, what about Mary or Mother Teresa and all the female saints. Are they the "devil's gateway?" I don't see how he can fail to realize his inconsisitent ethic of life. In one way he's preaching God's word and saying love each other as Jesus loved us and then in another instant he's referring to all females as the devil's gateway.
 
To conclude, this notion that the Book of Genesis story on Adam and Eve should be interpreted as a lesson on the roles of men and women in society is silly. Furthermore, this myth has influenced the way we live for far too long and unfortunately, many fail to realize this fact.
 
-- Brian La Rocca
 
#6 [12/6/99] I believe that the Adam and Eve Myth is a sexist myth because of the way it produces the image of a man who is superior to a woman. I believe the myth was developed to get this point across. I agree that the myth is sexist and that it is still influencing today's society. Throughout time, women were not allowed to hold offices or make important societal decisions. This same sexism still occurs today, although it is not noticeably known. For example in the Catholic Church, like many years ago and in today's society, woman are not allowed to become priests, offer the sacraments, or become bishops. If the story line was changed (where Eve is superior to Adam), I believe the myth would have less impact on today's society. I believe that if the myth had been written differently, in where Eve takes on the role of Adam and Adam takes the role of Eve, society as we know it would be different. I believe the gender roles would have changed (where women are superior in society). Women would be the world leaders and decision makers of countries. Overall, we have a long way to go until women are regarded as being equal as men. The myth of Adam and Eve is sexist and has allowed the idea that men are superior to women, to become a part of our everyday society. Because religion plays an important role in shaping society, this myth is a teaching to the individuals of that society to remain sexist to woman. Everywhere we look, there is male symbolism in which men are made to be superior. Men are the religious leaders, they are the business leaders, they are presidents of countries, and the money-makers. This is the truth, whether we want to believe it or not!
- - Cynthia Casanova
 
#7 [12/6/99] After listening to the sermon and reading the creation story again, I still find the myth sexist and degrading to women. Today, with all the advancements women have made, they still are the subordinate sex. Male dominance has been around for thousands of years, from real life to fiction. Take for example the three quotes you mentioned in the sermon. The first two quotes are known quotes, but the third quote was degrading and places the blame of the act of sex on the women. She is often the one who is said to have asked for it or tempted a male. This all goes back to the Adam
and Eve story. The blame in the myth should not be placed all on Eve. I find that if the male was supposed to be the dominated sex, why didn't Adam know not to eat the fruit. The answer- because he is no better than Eve! There is the issue of equality that should be raised, but will never. Eve was tempted by the serpent and Adam was tempted by Eve. Each was tempted by something/someone, but the underlying blame is placed on Eve. The issue of equality is funny. In the sermon you mention that a women will not be president this millennium, a major religious leader or wealth because they actually worked for it and I would have to agree. But I don't think we will ever see a women in any position of dominance as long as the creation story is a stepping stone for male dominance. There will never be an opportunity for a woman to show what she has to offer and it is a pity. The Adam and Eve creation story has an impact on the way we use myth. The story has been around for a long time and still it is a bases for chauvinism. The power of myth is strong, and we as a society need to look ahead and not back for guidance.
- -Danielle Gaudio
#8 [12/10/99] When I first learned about the Adam and Eve myth, it was SO many years ago while I was in CCD (my town's version of Sunday school, that really doesn't take place on Sunday, but on whatever night the "den mother" has free, but I digress) I never in a million years saw it as being sexist and having a male domineering undertone. But now, after taking this class and analyzing the myth in detail, I do see how it can be taken that way and how it goes along with the male dominated society that we have lived in since the dawn of time.
 
As I have said before in my CAJ, Eve should not be the only at fault. Adam did indeed take the forbidden fruit from her. He did have a choice on whether or not to eat it. As naive as that my sound, it's true. Plus, the modern day version, according to the Simpson's could be true as well: Adam was the one that took the fruit but blamed it on Eve because he was chicken when it came to confessing to God. Unfortunately, people are weak, that's just known in society. Some people have more will power than others, but that doesn't stop them all of the time from doing something that they shouldn't or wouldn't do if they were thinking straight at that moment. When God or whoever decided to spark the catalyst to create humans, they also created the faults that all of us have. Temptation was created, and that is what the story is all about.
 
The story is a very sexist one at that. It in a way teaches us that women will always be the downfall to society and that we are always the ones at fault. It's sad to think that the creator of this story, and in all actuality, the creator of all, didn't realize the intense and thorough analysis of this myth later on down the road. It really is a pity to have such a multicultural icon be the way that it is with the sexist message that it oozes from its words.

In conclusion, I have NEVER looked at the nursery rhyme of Jack & Jill the way that you wrote about in your lecture. In a way, it tainted this light hearted story for me because now, whenever I hear it, I will always think of the possibility that Jill caused the accident by lifting up her skirt! That's crazy! But one never knows.... And, the very graphic quote from the unknown author just made me ill. It has nothing to do with the choice of the material, it's the language of it that made me sick to my stomach. But, again, this quote advocates the well known assumption that women are only here for one purpose: to be a toy for the male species, which is totally NOT the case.

 
-- Courtnay Russell
#9 [12/8/99]
The affects that a myth, like the Adam and Eve myth, have on a society only have a strong impact because of the value given to it during its origin. The affects of myths have been imbedded in our society regardless if we recognize its origin. As Professor Varisco mentioned in the beginning of the lecture the bible is "the most revered and sacred text in the Western World." Then with this reasoning, who are we (mere humans) to question the word that was inspired by God? If the text were not given such value, the story's message would not have had an overwhelming affect on societies cross-culturally. By now society is indeed molded by the affects of myth because of the behaviors that it originally produced (or reinforced and then developed). These behaviors have been passed on from one generation to the next.
 
I believe that the main reason for the development of biblical stories was for explanatory purposes of the state of human beings. In order for these stories to be plausible not only were they believed to be inspired, but also developed into a chronological order of stories in order to hold some validity. The reason that many of us are familiar with (or taught) the creation story is because it's "the beginning". People's curiosity tends to focus on "where did we come from?" and "where are we going (or what will happen to us?" the creation story and the end (Genesis and Revelation). In this method of thinking (myth as an explanatory tool), the first quote can be linked to the third quote; only if you believe that one of the points of the Adam and Eve story was to identify sex as a negative act. Then the fruit could symbolize sex, and the shame of nakedness and painful labor as punishment. This point of view would conform to the sexist aspect that the Adam and Eve story has, because Eve is mainly blamed for the results. Then if the purpose of myths have been to justify and promote already existing behaviors, how did they originate? I do not believe that myth's originally produced male dominant behaviors, but rather reinforced such behaviors and continue to do so in our society. It is far too obvious to deny the sexist aspect in Judeo-Christian stories. Even the highest form of existence, the Supreme Being (God), is made to be or strongly possesses male characteristics. I think that a first step to obtaining an egalitarian society is to devalue myths. If this were to actually be accomplished, then people (usually males) would stop using myths as justification in arguments (and for some, their base in arguments). Then people would focus on developing rational explanations for the state of mankind throughout the centuries and cross-culturally.
-- Michael Hernandez
 
#10 [12/9/99]
When the three quotes were read I was shocked that the "Act of Sex" was put with Adam and Eve and Jack and Jill. I understand why the first two could be related but couldn't think of how the last one had anything to do with the other two. As the lecture went on, I started to understand how all of these quotes were connected.
 
All of the quotes represent the male domination of women. Adam is in control Eve. Eve is there only to obey and give him children. In the Jack and Jill myth Jill comes tumbling after Jack when he falls down the hill. Jill follows Jack. The Act of Sex shows the male being in control of a sexual act and the women being submissive.
 
The domination of men over women is still around today. The president is male, men are in higher work position, they get paid more money and men control the lives of the women around them. It is unforunate that our society lives by the myth but it's very true. I don't think this will ever change because people believe that this is the way it should be. Women are born into a submissive role, they grow up in that role and then they live their lives accordingly.
-- Melissa Vogel
#11 [12/10/99]
After reading "The Creation" and hearing the lecture in class, I think it would be hard for someone to argue that the myth is not sexist. It seems to be so biased, that if such a myth were presented for the first time in our current society, I feel it would attract a great deal of attention and criticism for its depiction of females in an inferior manner. Assuming such a reaction would occur is a sign of progress toward equality, but the fact that such comments are not, for the most part, raised shows that the story still exerts an influence on the way we think.

Before reading "The Creation" story for class, the last time I had read it was in religious education class when I was in elementary school. Since that time, I had known the story to be somewhat sexist, but had not realized just how biased it really was (as I had not taken the time to re-read it). However, considering that I was rather young at the time when I first learned about the story, I am not surprised that this aspect of the myth did not occur to me, as I was too young to even know what a sexist story was. Also, since it was taught in religious education, there was obviously no critical analysis or questioning of the myth when it was presented. Perhaps having such a myth being taught to children at an early age is one of the reasons why the myth continues to play such an influential role in society. Even though I now see the story as a myth, I believed it to be true when I was younger because, at that point, the idea of questioning what I was taught was rather foreign to me. Although I know very little about psychology, I do not think it would be too far fetched to suggest that if such a story is taught to young children when they are very impressionable, it will almost certainly have some influence on the way they view the world, and more specifically, the opposite sex.

Most importantly, I feel that religion is looked to by most followers as an aid in leading our lives and in making decisions. If religion preaches inequality, such myths can be seen as rather significant ways of justifying inequality in society and although "The Creation" myth may not be accepted as factual information by many, it and other myths serve to convey the general beliefs and values of a religion. In that sense, these myths are still capable of influencing our current ideas and behaviors and in the case of "The Creation," serve to impede the progression toward equality in society.

-- Chris Sharrow
#12 [12/10/99]
In response to this sermon on how the Adam and Eve story still affects our lives today, I would have to agree. First of all, because this is known as the creation story for Christianity the majority of people who learn this story is enormous. And because it is so widely known and believed, few question as the how it affects their lives. The characteristics which both Adam and Eve displayed is evident in our society today when women encounter males who feel that they are better and that women are inferior to them. All of this I do believe reverts back to how Adam was told by God that he would rule over Eve. Subconsciously anyone who was taught this myth is being in a way brain washed into believing they must follow the gender role displayed. And this might be the case for many other religions in where there are similar stories.
 
This myth does indeed serve it's purpose as to explain they way men and women act but why do we put so much importance on it? As discussed recently in class I believe this has to do with the fear of what happens when we reject it. Even though we are aware that this myth holds the key to the way women and men are treated why does it continue to be a part of religion. It's because we are not strong enough to face the reactions of others if we do reject it or even changed it. What if we were to change the myth around as you stated in your lecture, would our outcome be different. I would have to agree, because it this "way" of ruling was changed to that both Adam and Eve were to serve as equals, then we would indeed have the equal opportunity women are fighting for. Aside from this subject but still in reference to Adam and Eve, I recently recieved a forwarded e-mail and in it it gave little responses as to way men act. Two of the statements were:
- What did God say after creating man?
- "I can do better"
 
-Why did God create man before woman?
- Because you need a rough draft before creating your masterpiece.
-- Maahila Singh
#13 [12/15499] It is hard in our society today to pinpoint one reason why black people still are not completely equal to white people, why teenagers are looked apon as being so incredibly impresionable. But Adam and Eve is certainly one reason why at least in a religious context why women are still inferior to men. In the beginning of the lecture you first compare the three quotations to each other. I do not completly agree with the comparison of the first two. I do not see the similarities of Jack and Jill nursery rhyme, and the biblical myth. Other then both having a man and woman, I see no similarities. The nursery rhyme has a man carrying a bucket up and hill and a woman with him and then both falling down the hill, Jill behind Jack. The biblical myth shows a woman disobeying god and being decieved by the serpent, then using her "femine charms" to trick the man. Jack does not seem to be stronger then Jill just because he carries the bucket, after all he is the first one to fall down the hill. Adam and Eve was not a start for male dominace. It was written probably showing you how society was at the time. It then became reasons for male dominance within religion. And as religion used to be a more dominate part of society it was part of the reason why males continued to dominate females. But as religion became less of a dominate force in society it moved to just one of the possible reasons why women are still in a possition of inferiorty to men.
-- Scott Garver
 FURTHER ANALYSIS
If you are interested in learning more about the Adam and Eve story, here are some suggestions:
 
Books:
 
Frymer-Kensky, Tikva
In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1992.

Kvam, Kristen E. et al. (editors)

Eve & Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999. BS1235.3 E87 1999
Miles, Margaret R.
Carnal Knowing: Female Nakedness and Religious Meaning in the Christian West. New York: Vintage Books, 1991 [1989] BT704.M55 1991
Pagels. Elaine
Adam, Eve, and the Serpent. New York: Vintage Books, 1988. BS2545.S36P34
Spoul, Barbara C.
Primal Myths: Creation Myths around the World. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1991 [1971] BL325.C7S68 1979.
 
Websites:
• Adam and Eve in the Garden of Humor
 
• The Books of Adam and Eve (The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament), R.H. Charles, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913)
http://wesley.nnc.edu/noncanon/ot/pseudo/adamnev.htm
• The First Adam and the Fall from the Garden
http://matu1.math.auckland.ac.nz/~king/Preprints/book/consum/consum1.htm#anchor287168
• The Life of Adam and Eve: Biblical Story in Judaism and Christianity (Gary A. Anderson, Michael E. Stone)
http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/anderson/
• Lilith
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu:80/humm/Topics/Lilith/