Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Adam/Eve

Paula Lieb

English 308J

Summary:

Chapter 12 attempts to explain the relationship between men and women by connecting it to passages found in the Old Testament. He makes connections that with the coming of the first text, the female was devalued, and cast into a specific role. Schlain claims that the stories through out the Bible attempt to give everyone in society a specific purpose, including slaves and women. Slain begins the chapter with the story of creation. Schain claims that in the story of creation, “Yahweh created woman only as an afterthought because Adam could not find a suitable “helpmeet” among the animals.” (Schlain 112). He continues to explain how the woman was created out of Adam’s ribs inferring that a “women’s function in life is to support a man.” (113). Slain continues to explain how the bible portrays the relationship between men in women by telling the story of the forbidden fruit. He explains how the serpent in the story in cast as a villain which cuts off an earlier notion that tied snakes to a symbol of power for Goddesses’ and devalues to women to “property” (114). Schlain explains how this story reversed associating women with life, and dubbed women as the reason for death. Schlain continues by claiming the “Yahmeh branded female curiousity the greatest sin.” (114). which in turn gives males a way to take power over women, with a “legitimate” claim.

Schlain continues to explain how the original sin created by Eve, caused God to punish Israelite nations that still worshiped Goddess’. He claims that Yahweh also performed “destructive miracles” (116) storms, floods etcetera which were meant to discredit any other male God which claimed to have these powers. Yahweh was attempting to establish his status as the only God.

This chapter continues with yet another story of how the Bible sets women at a status below women. Schlain explains that in Hebrew patriarchs there is a story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All three of these men married women who could not have children. The men decided to try for children with their handmaids and this was successful for all three men, which is interpreted that females are to blame when a couple can not produce children. Schlain interprets this as taking credit for child birth away from the female and giving it to the male.

The chapter continues by comparing the relationship between man and women to that of Yahweh and Israel. He explains how Yahweh let his chosen people suffer for 430 years before Moses was selected to guide Yahweh’s people to slavery. He makes the connection that Yahweh like a husband was “demanding, controlling, and capricious”(117), while Israel like the wife, was “long suffering, obedient, and loyal.” (117). Furthering the claims to gender roles in society.

Schlain finishes the chapter with the explanation that over time men are encouraged to turn to book instead of women for knowledge. He says “The aleph-bet broke the spirit of women and banished the Goddess.”(119).

Schlain uses strong appeals to pathos in chapter 12 due to his connection with the Old Testament which many people, especially Christians and Jewish people take very seriously. He uses famous biblical stories like the story of creation and the story of the forbidden fruit to draw people in because it is something they are familiar with, and then to get them to feel something, which in many females case would be negative feelings. He goes a good job of stirring up emotions in female readers because it breaks down into simple terms the diminishing of their power in society due to biblical texts. “women’s function in life is to support a man.” (113). This is likely to stir up emotion in many females due to the fact that many females believe that there is equal status between men and women. Schlain had strong appeals to ethos in that the chapter was well written. It made good points and Schlain seems to sincerely believe what he was writing. I feel that the logos was very weak. Schlain claims to get information from archeologists and archaeologists, as well as other “professionals” but fails to mention names, or organizations. He says "Archaeologist have recovered..." (115) but never provides information as to who these archaeologists are. Also his claims made from the bible is all personal interpretation and doesn’t provide good evidence just in that many religions have trouble agreeing on an interpretation of the bible. So what would cause readers to take Schlain’s interpretation as valid?

How do you think women interpret the bible’s message of a women’s role in society today? Should Christian women and men take these stories literally? Do you feel Schlain’s interpretation of these stories are correct? What is women’s role in society if it is not what Schlain claims scriptures say?