Women in Christianity; Eve and Pandora Quick Analysis
Eve and Pandora, the two women who were victimized for merely existing as a woman by their creators. Written in the “Five Books of Moses” translated by Robert Alter, God states “‘I will terribly sharpen your birth pangs, in pain shall you bear children. And for your man shall be your longing, and he shall rule over you.’” Throughout the writing of the story of Adam and Eve, Hesiod builds up the entirety of the story to this point where he deems Adam dominate over Eve after he wrote to “expose” the horrors of the women and how she cannot be controlled and should be “managed.” Hesiod clearly writes the story of Adam and Eve in a clear misogynistic and sexist point of view which directly correlates to Pandora’s story where Pandora was created as a punishment by Zeus and it was inevitable for her to be viewed in a lesser state than a man. In evidence, in the writings of “Eve and Pandora Contrasted” by William E. Phipps, the author states “First, a state of bliss; second, the mischievous activity of the woman; third, a description of evils. Consequently, it might reasonably be inferred that Hesiod had made use of some variant of a narrative that was also utilized in the story of the Garden of Eden.’”
There’s a pattern to Hesiod’s writing and the obvious pattern of how a woman should be perceived in society and taken in understanding. This formation of Hesiod’s structure correlates to his thesis, structure and main points. I don’t understand why the stories of Pandora and Eve’s stories are still integrated into society today and heavily followed? Who gave reason to the idea that these texts should continue to be widely accepted even though it is clear that these texts are ancient and written with a clear misogynistic bias? I had never read the stories of Pandora and Eve prior to this week, but have had previous knowledge from verbal conversations, but what struck me the most was the absurdity of each story and how the story lines would not fly so easy today if written in today’s world. Although, since these texts are “historical” we continue to follow and reference these stories often. Pandora and Eve were victims of their own stories and were doomed from the beginning since their creation was to emphasize the doom of women.
