ipl-logo

Mary Nyquist Paradise Lost Analysis

1677 Words7 Pages

In her article, “The Genesis of Gendered Subjectivity in the Divorce Tracts and in Paradise Lost,” Mary Nyquist examines Milton’s incorporation into Paradise Lost of the two Genesis accounts concerning man’s creation. In doing so, Nyquist seeks to determine, among many other things, Milton’s position on the balance of power in the relationship between Adam and Eve. She concludes that Milton’s use of the Genesis accounts places Adam in a hierarchically superior position to Eve. Despite the depth of Nyquist’s textual analysis, her argument is flawed for three reasons. First (briefly), her conclusion rests on Milton’s intention in presenting the creation story as he did in Paradise Lost; no amount of critical analysis will fully reveal the author’s intention. Second, her examination of the text subjectively interprets or even ignores several instances which undermine and even disprove her theory. Third and most importantly, Nyquist assumes throughout her essay that Eve’s …show more content…

Nyquist in her article does not consider the possibility of other explanations for the differences between Adam and Eve other than the fact that they all point to Eve’s subjection to Adam, a fact which she never really supports with textual evidence besides seeing an inferiority on chronological events. Milton’s multi-faceted and complex writing style is rarely as self-explanatory as it first appears and there are countless interpretations of his representation of Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost. For example, Adam and Eve could represent different elements of mankind in light of his final end: Adam represents reason and intellect, while Eve represent obedience to and faith in both God and Adam. Both are necessary for man in relation to God. Their respective qualities are complimentary to each other, with Adam providing the reason and Eve providing the

Show More
Related

  • Killers Of The Dream Lillian Smith Analysis

    335 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book “Killers of the Dream” by Lillian smith there are several ideas that are brought forward that really demonstrate that the author exaggerates the true situation and the state of affairs in the south. In the context of the book, the south was experiencing serious crisis when the whited propagated segregation against the blacks and other low class whites. The paper contains the author’s thesis and a summary of the author’s primary points. Additionally, the paper examines whether the authors account is incomplete, questionable or cases where the account does not make sense. The social profiling that resulted was regrettable and brought serious repercussions to the society in general.

    Read More

  • Paradise Lost Hero's Journey Analysis

    909 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his introduction to ‘Paradise Lost’, Philip Pullman relates an anecdote in which a country squire listening to Milton’s poem being read aloud suddenly exclaims: ‘”By God! I know not what the outcome may be, but this Lucifer is a damned fine fellow, and I hope he may win!”’ (Milton, 2008, 1). It is this effect Roman Polanski aims for in The Ninth Gate by presenting the anti-Christ, another aspect of the unholy trinity, as heroic, and his means of achieving it the utilization of the model of the hero’s journey as formulated by Joseph Campbell. Whether or not we consider this aim achieved, such is the film’s subversive use of the hero’s journey, its tropes and its character archetypes, we may consider it in conversation with and critique of the model itself, be it Campbell’s original model or that further refined for writers by Christopher Vogler.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Uncharted Forest

    2075 Words  | 9 Pages

    Children are born each winter, but women never see their children and children never know their parents. Twice have we been sent to the Palace of Mating, but it is an ugly and shameful matter, of which we do not like to think.” ■ In this quotation we see the sophisticated nature of one's rules of society. This representation of the concept of society is shown when Equality 7-2521 says of how his community is “shameful and ugly.”

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Two Creation Stories

    195 Words  | 1 Pages

    Before we are told the two creation stories the author tells us a few personal stories about his family, specifically about his parents. We learn about his mother’s struggle with gender inequality in the workplace, and about his father who was not a part of his or his brother’s life. By using some personal stories in the first chapter of the book, King showed us that he was willing to use his own life to support for his main argument, “The truth about stories is that’s all we are.” (King 2.) The personal stories take a different form than the creation stories, in that the personal stories touch on important topics such as gender inequality and family tragedy.

    Read More

  • Witchcraft In The Witches

    1101 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the early modern period, the belief of witchcraft was growing exponentially (Parish, Helen. Class Discussion). During this period women were the predominately accused in witchcraft cases. There were many different reasons why women were blamed for being witches during this time period and these reasons range from not being a good mother, widowed, a bad wife, or even hair color (Parish, Helen. Class Discussion).

    Read More

  • The Biblical Allusions In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

    1121 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this thesis, I tried to analyze the Biblical allusions in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. The aim of this work was to prove that John Steinbeck used many Biblical allusions, notably the allusions referring to the Biblical story in the fourth chapter of the book Genesis, which is the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, to show the inseparability of the good and the evil and the importance of man’s free will in his life and in the case of overcoming the evil. I found out, that although the readers may acknowledge many similarities and the Biblical allusions in East of Eden, there are also many important differences which essentially outline the message of Steinbeck’s “Big Book”. The allusions begin from the title of the book, East of Eden and

    Read More

  • Archetypes In The Garden Of Eden

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is noteworthy that this story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the foundation of the religion with the largest number of followers worldwide. Why does it continue to resonate with so many people even today? The reason is that this utopia contains archetypes that reflect the collective unconscious that is found across all cultures. This is the result of universal themes in this story about humanity’s needs and desires that we still see occurring in our society today. The story of Genesis contains three archetypal characteristics that illustrate these patterns that still demonstrate humanity’s needs.

    Read More

  • What Is The Purpose Of The Tempest By Mary Rowlandson

    272 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mary Rowlandson was held captive by the Narragansetts in 1676. She wrote a book called A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson telling about the uncertainties of the “violent English advance “civilization” and “savagery”(Takaki 43). Since the English stereotype at the time were that Native Indians were inferior, Rowlandson's account, which was significant to U.S. History was one of many stories told to change the thinking of the settlers. The Indians way of life was foreign to them. They didn't understand their ways.

    Read More

  • The Monkey Garden Cisneros Analysis

    856 Words  | 4 Pages

    It was that simple” (Cisneros 96). In comparison, the story of The Garden of Eden in Genesis consists

    Read More

  • Good And Evil In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

    1515 Words  | 7 Pages

    “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). John Steinbeck’s work, East of Eden, is the one he considered to be his greatest, with all novels before leading up to it. Indeed, it grandly recounts the stories of the human race as told by the Bible, including Adam and Eve, but most prominently that of Cain and Abel. It touches upon both Steinbeck’s own family and a fictional family in a depiction of “man 's capacity for both good and evil” (Fontenrose). Joseph Fontenrose, however, criticizes Steinbeck’s message as contradictory and convoluted, with no clear relationship between good and evil.

    Read More

  • Epic Themes In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    1092 Words  | 5 Pages

    Literature, art, and music have always found ways to transcend the physical barriers and borders humans put up. They influence cultures other than the ones of their origins. Similarities between religions, mythologies, and folk stories have been noted often throughout time by academics and historians. The holy texts of some major religions like The Old Testament and the Quran share many overlapping literary themes and events with older religions and folk tales, like the ancient Sumerian poem; “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. Many examples of overlapping themes is the presence and references to great floods, supernatural influences, otherworldly gardens, and battles between good and evil.

    Read More

  • The Religion Influences In The Handmaid's Tale

    1562 Words  | 7 Pages

    The story of Adam and Eve serves as a tale on how mankind and womankind were created and placed on Earth. The story takes place in the Garden of Eden, and because the woman was deceived by the Serpent, both the women and the man were cast down to earth. The Serpent deceived the women by allowing her to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, as she also influenced the man, God punished both. “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 NIV) and that He allowed “Adam (to) named his wife Eve” (Genesis 3:20 NIV).

    Read More

  • The Monster In John Milton's Paradise Lost

    2568 Words  | 11 Pages

    This creation allegory is made clear from the beginning with the epigraph from John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667), which begins the novel. In an attempt to further

    Read More

  • Light And Dark Imagery In John Milton's Paradise Lost

    887 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although John Milton’s Paradise Lost remains to be a celebrated piece recounting the spiritual, moral, and cosmological origin of man’s existence, the imagery that Milton places within the novel remains heavily overlooked. The imagery, although initially difficult to recognize, embodies the plight and odyssey of Satan and the general essence of the novel, as the imagery unravels the consequences of temptation that the human soul faces in the descent from heaven into the secular realms. Though various forms of imagery exist within the piece, the contrast between light and dark imagery portrays this viewpoint accurately, but its interplay and intermingling with other imagery, specifically the contrasting imagery of height and depth as well as cold and warmth, remain to be strong points

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Paradise Lost

    1305 Words  | 6 Pages

    How is Milton’s God represented in book 1? Paradise Lost is a very dense epic poem. Some readers may not understand it and find it complex or sometimes contradictory in its representations and dimensions. In this essay I will try to find answers and some interpretations to its complexity through a focus on its literary aspects and both theological and political

    Read More

More about Mary Nyquist Paradise Lost Analysis

Open Document