Gender Flashcards
“The wife where danger and dishonor lurks”
Milton views wives as dangerous, disasters waiting to happen, forboding the fall of mankind. Eve is disloyal (to god as she rebels, to Adam as she is seduced by/seduces satan).
“Fairest unsupported flower”
Adam gives her strength, without him she is weak, naïve, and easily influenced. ‘Fairest’ mentions beauty, all she is ever compared to. ‘flower’ is inanimate, and cannot think, complain, voice opinions, or act on them, Milton views that this is what women should be like, just sit and look pretty.
“wanton coils”
“less attributed to her faith sincere
Milton presents Eve as less supporting of of God, and less committed to her faith. This goes against social norms on the 17th century and the gender stereotype of housewife and religion being a woman’s only tasks. Milton’s view of women.
“Thine shall submit”
“With thy permission”
“Was she thy God
“too easy entrance won”
Eve is naïve and foolish. Diminishes her argument with Satan as she fights back against him, Milton doesn’t want us to recognize this and presents Eve as stupid. Ignores the idea that Adam didn’t reason or argue, presents Eve as worse than Adam, a double standard.
Queering Satan -Jennifer Kaplan
The concept of Satan after the religion was an invisible, disembodied force.
Satan embodies literary archetype o a temptress.
Transformations reinforce Satan’s ‘otherness’
Satan becomes a wand-loss of masculinity, rank in hierarchy of gods.
Satan being visible is feminine as he can be observed, recipient of sexual desire, gaze of God.
Eve: Poignancy and paradox -Sandra M. Gilbert
Eve refuses to accept hierarchy of Eden
Only convinced Adam because she was jealous of a ‘New Eve’ being made.
Little care for the loss of Eden.
Eve is a problematic construction that obstructs women.
Rebellious and disobedient.
Victim of Satan- Or a double?
“Greedily she engorged without restraint”
Unfeminine-like- goes against societal norms. Greed is a sin, wanting independence is a sin. Make readers dislike Eve/women because they are seen to be remorseless.
