Inferiority of Eve in Paradise Lost - Milton’s Construction of Eve as an Inferior Creature

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By being created after Adam, by having less ability to reason than Adam, and by not having a direct line of communication with God, Eve is placed in a position where she is understandably jealous of Adam and his position as her superior. It is Eve's lower position, her less than adequate reasoning and her vanity that lead to conflict and eventually the fall. If Eve's fault is jealousy and vanity, then Adam's fault is his desire for a being less than himself. Eve is what Adam wanted, but she is placed in a position where she is desirous to find out what she can do without Adam. Adam denies his intellect for Eve's sake, and this leads him to fall with her, since he knows that he cannot bear to exist alone. Adam is able to bask in the glory of the earth that God has created, and is immediately able to feel as though he is a part of it, and sense his place within it. Eve, on the other hand, awakens to quite different circumstances. While Adam awakens in the sunlight, surrounded by God’s creatures and beauty, Eve awakens alone, “under a shade of flowers”, left to wonder who she was. While Adam’s surroundings are described in detail, little is known of Eve’s, except that there is a pool of water. It is this pool of water that brings to light several qualities used to emphasize her inferiority, for not only does Eve mistake her reflection for another being, she immediately becomes enraptured by her own beauty. This paints Eve as not only foolish, but also narcissistic and naïve. This view of Eve is what is under heavy criticism, for many feel that Eve has been placed in this role, simply because she is a woman; not only is she a victim of patriarchal society, she is the very first woman to be affected by it, quite simply because she was, in fact, the very first woman.

Milton tries and gives effort that the readers should sympathize for both of them but readers feel more sympathy for Adam than Eve. Moreover if we see more closely and critically, It is Eve who is always blamed for the fall of the mankind but the actual reason behind her being naïve and narcissistic is the lack of the required traits and qualities which were not given to her by the God. The absence of necessary traits was another reason for her fall. She being inferior to Adam and lacking essential qualities and direct contact with God made the fall of mankind happen. Hence it can be concluded that not only the inferior nature of Eve but God as well was responsible for mankind’s ultimate fall.

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Nigam,Y.N.ed.Milton Paradise Lost Book IX.Delhi:Doaba Publications,2000.

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