Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part B

This set of stories was not as captivating as the women of the Bible stories. They were less captivating in my opinion. I found Adam and Eve in these stories too whiny. They had a hard time accepting the punishment for their actions, which was frustrating for me. The stories were very dark and more depressing than I would have liked. There was so much grief and desperation with little hope. This bothered me due to the fact that I like to see the Bible as quite inspirational, building hope. In addition to all this, God seemed meaner than I'd like to see Him. Although he was merciful, it was not to the extent I would have expected. His punishments were harsh, and I feel like the whole forgiveness lesson cold have been taken advantage of here. All that being said, these issues I found with the stories helped me come up with alternatives for my own story. I would like to write a story where Adam and Eve overcome the hardships they are facing. I would like to see them learn how to cope with their punishments a bit better. I would also like to see them take more accountability for their mistakes. Although there were some things I did not like about these stories, there were some good qualities as well. I enjoyed the dialogue between Adam and Eve, and I also appreciated the love story aspect between the two. Eve was so upset by Adam's suffering that she did not want to live without him. This helped the story seem less distant and more relatable. I also realize that although God seemed quite "mean," his actions were necessary to teach Adam and Eve a lesson. Therefore, it was important that God have this quality in order to use these stories as a teaching tool for those who read it.

Adam and Eve by Masaccio, mythfolklore

The Forgotten Book of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr.