Analysis On Genesis

ANALYSIS OPTION (GENESIS) When the first woman eats the forbidden fruit, God tells her that “your urge shall be for your husband,/And he shall rule over you (3:16). Many readers interpret this as a decree applying to all women thereafter, not just Eve. Do you think the male-female relationships depicted in Genesis later on demonstrate the impact of this punishment? In other words, do we see God’s decree being fulfilled (women want men and men tell them what to do) or unfulfilled (women have some equality or power, and don’t particularly have an “urge” for men)? To decide which position to take, consider how Genesis depicts male-female relationships after the expulsion from Eden. Based only on specific characters and stories from chapters 4 to 22, do gender dynamics in the text match God’s words in 3:16? Decide whether you think the answer is yes or no, and write an essay explaining and defending your position with textual evidence. Hint: you’ll find evidence on both sides in the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Abraham and Hagar, Lot and his wife, Lot and his daughters, and Abraham and Sarah’s encounters with Pharaoh and Abimelech.