Book 7
By Brenda Lopez and Emma Pacheco
Summary of Fredson
Bowers "Adam, Eve and the Fall in "Paradise Lost"
Characters:
- Urania-
Muse of Astronomy used to describe "heavenly" theme of the
story.
- Raphael-
is the messenger and was invited to eat with Adam and Eve but he was also
there to describe the creation of the world.
- Adam
- Asking questions on how man and the world were created.
- The
Son- Messenger and actually is the human extension of God who is given the
task of creating the world in six days. The Son basically shapes the
world. (Change up from the biblical story of Genesis)
- God-
Commands The Son on how to create the world.
Paradise Lost Book 7 Summary
·
In the beginning, John
Milton makes another reference to a Greek mythologist named Urania. The narrator uses her in order to have her
help him return to heaven.
·
The narrator, Milton, is
asking Urania to protect him even though he knows that they are both surrounded
by evil. He mainly asked his muse to protect him from being killed like Orpheus
(the "Thracian bard"), who was torn to pieces. Similar to the song, Milton “fears that a
similar “barbarous dissonance” unleashed by the Restoration will drown out his
voice and threaten his life” (Footnote 7). The importance of this is that
Milton, although extremely republican, he admits his fear of being afraid of
the change that will possibly impact his opinion about religion.
·
Milton also references
Beelerophon, angered the gods and he fell due to Zeus’s orders where he
“wandered alone and blind until his death”(7.18 also see footnote 4)
·
Raphael, whom I now
think is the narrator tells Adam and Eve all of this, but they want to know
more about how earth was created, why God created it and more history about it
because curiosity influences him to know. Adam “led on, yet sinless, with
desire to know / what nearer might concern him” (7. 61-62). Adam’s interest
shows his innocence because he wanted to know every aspect to human and earth
life, but of course once he learned more, his interest lead to his so called
sinful action.
·
So basically Raphael
tells Adam that God knows of Satan’s fall and plan so he will have his Son
create another universe.
·
Interestingly, Adam’s
“question about God’s actions before the Creation was often cited as an example
of presumptuous and dangerous speculation, especially when, as here, it implies
mutability in God. But in Milton’s Eden, error that is not deliberate is not
sinful” (Footnote 9 pg2065). Raphael goes on to tell Adam what Jesus constructed
and on what days.
·
All of which is
referenced in the bible in the book of Genesis, but the differences are keen to
show Milton’s connection with nature and Greek mythology.
- First
day: God divides night and day, “Again th’ Almighty spake: ‘Let there be light
/ High in th’ expanse of heaven to divide / the day from night”
(7.339-341).
·
Second day: he creates
the "firmament,"(which is like the atmosphere that acts as a buffer
between the waters on the surface of the earth and the heavens).
- Third
day: creates dry land; mountains emerge as various forms of water
(streams, etc.) make their way to the sea. God names the huge bodies of
water "seas" and orders that grass, trees, and vegetation come
forth.
- Fourth
day: he creates the sun, moon, and stars to make the divisions between
night, day, and the seasons clear.
- Fifth
day: he creates reptiles, birds, and whales; the animals multiply by
reproducing offspring.
- Sixth
day: He creates the "beasts" of the earth, such as cattle,
lions, tigers, and others. Seventh Day: Jesus rests and blesses the
seventh day as holy.
- In
Milton’s version of the seven days, he has Raphael, the “affable
Archangel” explain it to Adam and Eve,
while in the bible God is the one who talks about the seven days of
creation. The reason Milton used Raphael to explain the creation of the
seven days is to make him more relatable to people.
- Also,
in Milton’s version, he seems to have had Jesus, God’s son, create
everything, but God received the credit, while in the Book of Genesis, God
was the one to create everything.
- Interestingly,
in Milton’s version, Jesus speaks for God because he was not there at that
moment. With this, Milton exemplifies God’s hierarchal status quo as he
has his son speak for him, while in the bible, God speaks for himself.
- Something
else that is noteworthy is the fact that Besides the fundamental order of
the days and what was made in each day, I noticed that Milton references
the earth as a female, “her universal face with pleasant green, / […] her
blossom smelling sweet” (7.316- 319).
- The
fact that he does that connects his ideas of the Greeks.
Book 7: Quote Analysis
1.) “This garden, planted with the trees of God, /
Delectable both to behold and taste; And freely all their pleasant fruit or
food / […] but of the tree / Which tasted works knowledge of good and evil, /
Thou may’st not; in the day thou eat’st, thou di’st; / Death is the penalty imposed,
beware” (7.538-545).
-Here God warns Adam and Eve about the forbidden
fruit and be says they have all this food to eat, but they cannot eat fruit
from that tree because if they do then they will be punished; this threat
brings up the idea of free will, and whether it existed for Adam and Eve and
whether it exists for humankind. I would say that it can exist as long as one
does not allow religion to influence one’s freedom because one can be as free
as one can be.
2). "The earth was
formed, but in the womb as yet / Of waters, embryon immature involved /
Appeared not: over all the face of earth" (7. 276-78).
-This quote also connects with Greek myth
characters, Gaea(earth), and Uranus(ruler of heaven and sky) and how they had
sexual relations. Also, how the earth is viewed as something where new life can
be born.
3). “Thou with eternal
Wisdom didst converse, / Wisdom thy
sister, and with her didst play". - According to the footnote, Milton “describes “eternal
Wisdom” as a daughter of God
(personification of his wisdom) and devises a myth in which the Muse of divine poetry […] originating from God (7.
9-10).
-According to the footnote, Milton “describes
“eternal Wisdom” as a daughter of God (personification of his wisdom) and
devises a myth in which the Muse of divine poetry […] originating from God (7.
9-10). To an extent, this can be seen as sexism where the stem of God is
wisdom, but also contradictive because women where personified with passion
rather than intellect.
4). "Fermented the
great mother to conceive / Satiate with genial moisture" (7. 281-82).
-By describing the mother Earth in such a
sensual manner, Milton draws parallels to the pagan beliefs, such as Gaea (Mother
Earth) and how she is the embodiment of fertility she is the mother of all
creation. Using this description not only gives us the description of the
"firmament of the waters," but also the expectation her duty to be
fruitful and uphold her purpose in the universe.
5.) "In Chaos, and
the work begun, how soon / Absolved, if unforbid thou may'st unfold / What we,
not to explore the secrets ask / Of his eternal empire, but the more / To
magnify his works, the more we know" (7.93-97)
-This parallels the way that pagan beliefs of
the creation occurred. For instance in Greek mythology, Earth was bred out of
Chaos which was very similar to the way that God created the earth which was
out the Chaos that was below the Heavens. Therefore, this shows the relation
between the old pagan beliefs and new Christian ideologies.
6.) "That earth now
seemed like Heav'n, a seat where gods might dwell, / Or wander with delight,
and love to haunt / Her sacred shades" (7.328-331).
-The main point of this quote is to show how heaven may seem perfect,
but it is only as perfect as God wants it to be, and since there are no
temptations for the Gods in heaven, then they dwell in their so called free
will”.
7.) During the sixth day
and the creation of Adam and Eve "When God said, / 'Let th' earth bring
forth soul living in her kind, / [...] / The earth obeyed, and straight /
Op'ning her fertile womb teemed at a birth / Innumerous living creatures"
(7.450-455).
-The theme of obedience and reproduction in most
cases is used with the detailed description of the Earth as the fertile being
that gives birth to all the living creatures on earth. In addition, Mother
Earth is parallel to Eve by also having to show her submissiveness by obeying
the word of God and following the rules to her purpose.
8.)
"'Let us make now man in our image, man / In our
similtude, and let them rule / [...] / and over all the earth, / And every
creeping thing that creeps the ground'" (7.519-523).
-The
significance of this quote is that it shows how God wanted mankind to be, which
is like him, but the irony is that one cannot be as perfect as God because he
pre destines ones fate.
9.) "thee that day
/ Thy thunders magnified; but to create / Is greater than created to
destroy"(7.606-607).
-In other words, this quote exemplifies the
nature aspect of God’s creation, but also shows how it is better to create
something than to destroy.
10.) Who seeks / To
lessen thee, against his purpose serves / To manifest the more thy might his
evil / Thou usest, and from thence creat'st more good" (7.613-616).
-The importance of this is that one cannot change what ones purpose is
because God has already decided what will happen. Also, in the attempt to do
something evil, good will come from it because it is all a part of God’s plan.
Critical Article: Fredson Bowers "Adam, Eve and the Fall in
"Paradise Lost"
Article summary:
- Fredson Bowers analyzes John Milton's description of
the fall and how is made believable by using detailed description of the
fall of Satan, Adam, and Eve
- He explores the question "What cause led
Adam and Eve to the Fall?" which he describes that is more than just
Satan, but that the Fall could have been predestined by God based his
decision and their lack of free will (264).
- Bowers explores the difference in gender roles of the
perfect marriage by showing that Eve is the epitome of
"passion," while Adam is supposed to be the act of
"reason" and is seen as the superior one in the relationship
(Bowers 265).
- He goes on to analyze the influences of the old myth of
creation based on the Gods and the universe by stating that "creation
of mankind as perfect globes or spheres, which were split apart to form
man and woman" (Bowers 265).Basically they both need each other in
order to survive and one has to be the "Giver and receiver, receiver
and giver, male and female, join to form the circle of perfection in
obedience to universal laws, neither complete in itself but together
forming a unified whole" (Bowers 265). This shows the parallels
between the Greek myths towards the Christians view that Milton seems to
be greatly influenced by.
- Bower describes Milton's description of the fall and
the pride that Eve has as she awoke from her slumber.
- Describing the concern that Adam has of Eve's dreams
begins to foreshadow the independence that Eve is growing as well as her
distance to Adam's control. As Adam begins to question his purpose and his
own creation in the Garden of Eden he begins to lose sight of his
responsibility that was bestowed up him which was being Eve's guide in the
garden. Bower illustrates the difference of their purpose and their own
creation set up a hierarchical chain which sees the woman below the man.
- As Adam begins to describe Eve's beauty to Raphael,
feeding into her vanity; Raphael began to warn Adam of the dangers of
pride/vanity: "She will not respect his values if he himself does not
respect them. If he will not lead, she cannot follow" (Bowers 266).
Basically there is this expectation that the woman is inferior and if the
man is not strong enough hold onto his values, they cannot expect for the
woman to stay under his control.
- Bower puts emphasis on the seven deadly sins; however,
Pride was seen as the worst one and if someone gave in to pride "all
the other sins would inevitably follow" (267). Unfortunately, since
Eve gave in to her pride because of the persuasive words of Satan during
her dreams she eventually was tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge.
- Adam has a misconception of their "perfect
creation" thinking they are invincible to evil and Bower analyzes the
reason for Raphael's visit to "warn Adam that though he is created
perfect, he was not created immutable" (268). Basically showing that
we still have our flaws even though we are born as the perfect being, but
as we learn about the world and there is a freedom of choice then we will
never always remain perfect because by influence we have the opportunity
to change. This opens Adam's mind to the possibility of falling because
just as Satan was created perfect and was able to fall from paradise, so
can they.
- Eve eventually realizes the structure of their
relationship as she listens more to Satan and Adam gets scolded by Christ
and the Archangel. Bower points out that after their communication was
affected and "the moment after [Adam] demands her obedience he
proceeds to make Eve a free agent and reverses their hierarchical order by
allowing her to make the crucial decision on which the fate of mankind is
to depend on" (270). By not following reason and making the decision
for herself whether she was considered to have the "pants” in the
relationship
- Overall, Bower analyzes both characters contribution to
the Fall, but mostly puts the majority of the blame on Adam by stating
that "Adam is more guilty than Eve because he fails in his divinely
appointed task as her protector, head, and guide. Under the stress of
personal emotion [...] he turns his back on what he knows to be right
judgment" (273). Although Milton's Adam wasn't the Satan's object to
deceive like Eve was, however he fails as her protector which led to the
seduction or temptation of Satan leading to the Fall. Adam not being able
to keep her in line and being overcome by her beauty and passion made him
fall from his line of superiority, taking them out of their
paradise.
Bowers Quote Analysis:
1). "But,
significantly, she is in the shade, not in the broad and truth-revealing
sunlight" (Bowers 266).
-In my opinion, the reason why Eve wakes up in
the darkness is because her purpose is not as great as Adam, which could be
seen as foreshadowing since she is the one that "rebels". In other
words, her actions were predestined by God; one that is born into darkness will
resume/ continue to walk down a dark path metaphorically speaking.
2). "When Adam
protests that an imbalance has taken place in their creation by which her
beauty has been made too powerful in its effect on his intellect" (Bowers
266).
-Adam feeds into Eve's pride/vanity by protesting
that he cannot think clearly enough and listen to reason because Eve is to
pretty and that affects his judgment. Exploring the idea that Adam was not able
to maintain control of his actions, and indirectly puts blame on God for making her to beautiful for his own well-being.
3.)"Man is created perfect, if
by perfection one does not imply such enforced will to good either by external
pressure or by internal composition as to remove the element of free choice
from the question of obedience" (Bowers 264).
-Although man was created perfect, they are still seen as
changeable due to choices or options that arise from external influences.
Whether good is what is influencing the way people act, if you remove the
option of free-will, man will become obedient.
4.) "Satan's evil did not
originate in an imperfection of creation but was instead triggered by his
acceptance, or approval, of non-good, the alternative to good" (Bowers
268).
-Satan realized that there was an opposition to good and
since he was very angry with God for casting him out of Heaven, he decided to
go on the side of opposition. In order to rebel against Him, Satan decides to
go against anything that is good and shows the decision on how he takes his
Fall from Heaven. Although we may be born perfect, because of the choices we
make, we can end up straying from the path that is usually deemed acceptable in
society. Sort of illustrating the idea of a "rebel without a cause."
5.) "It follows, then, that if
Adam was not deceived when he ate the fruit, he was
not deceived when he gave Eve permission to leave him to encounter Satan"
(Bowers 273).
-Here is where Bowers seems to say that Adam was
not the one to rebel first, but he still failed at his purpose, which was to be
Eve's guide.
6.) "The fall occurs
when reason, stronger in the person of Adam, relinquishes its sovereignty over
judgment, or decision, to passion, which is stronger in the person of Eve"
(Bowers 265).
-This shows the differences in roles that and
offers an explanation as to why the Fall occurs when Adam puts his love for Eve
over the love for God which is supposed to be absolute. By giving up his
responsibility he becomes one of the main reasons that they suffer and have to
leave the Garden of Eden.
7.). "The purpose
of the whole dream is to engender pride, a sense of discontent with her
hierarchical relation as subject to Adam" (Bowers 267).
-After Satan began to tempt Eve, she understands
the structure of their relationship and as she gains more knowledge she refuses
to be underneath in the relationship which shows the first rebellion against
that human do against the word of God.
