Is genesis discriminatory towards women?

Is genesis discriminatory towards women? Is Genesis 1-3 Discriminatory Towards Women? The first six chapters of Genesis are about the creation of the universe and the beginnings of humanity. Perhaps more than any other biblical story, those which make up the book of Genesis are considered to embody cultural, religious, and political symbols. Thus, Genesis is significant to this day because it is an etiological text. In particular, the story of Adam and Eve is essential in understanding gender roles and differences today. Discussing the relationship between Adam and Eve and the creation of the two figures by God often brings about controversy. It is obvious that the Bible, in particular chapters 1-6 of Genesis, has an abundance of examples where sexism towards women exists; however, some may interpret these examples with different meaning. Phyllis Trible, for instance, rejects the notion that Eve is an inferior or dependent being, but is rather the culmination of creation. These two opposite views are so frequently argued because Eve represents the fundamental characte r and identity of all women today. By examining the instances in Genesis which, to some, are seen as sexist, one can understand the reasoning behind gender role differences. The notion that women are the inferior sex originates in the Bible at the very beginning. It is in the creation story itself where controversy arises over gender equality. In Genesis 1:26-7, it appears as though equality between the sexes exists: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. The statement male and female created he them denotes equality because both sexes were established at the beginning; however, we later learn that God did not create them at the same time nor did he create them in the same way. Because Adam, representative of all men, was created first, Eve and all women alike, are viewed as the second sex. The order in which God created humankind is significant because it stresses the primacy of man and his superiority while emphasizing that women play a subordinate role. Does this mean that God favors man and intended for this set-up of gender roles? Phyllis Trible writes on this topic in her book, God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality. While many see the book of Genesis as a patriarchal text, proclaiming male superiority and female inferiority as the will of God, Tribles interpretation of Genesis offers a different perspective. She argues that the traditional interpretations of male superiority and female inferiority are inaccurate and they fail to respect the integrity of this work as an interlocking structure of words and motifs with its own intrinsic value and meaning. In short, these ideas violate the rhetoric of the story (73). The way in which Trible argues against the traditional view of the book of Genesis is quite interesting. She is realistic and does not disagree with the fact that the texts are sexist; rather, she states that the Bible is patriarchal and that the literature comes from a male-dominated society. Her point of view is fair; she does not reject the obvious notion that sexism exists in Genesis. She adds that the intention of the Bible is not to create nor perpetuate patriarchy but rather to f unction as salvation for both women and men (73). Trible believes that the Bible is commonly seen as sexist because of the challenge readers face in being able to translate biblical faith without sexism. Chapters one through three contain five points which are the most argumentative in all of Genesis. While there are interpretations for each point that take the sexist approach, Phyllis Trible challenges these interpretations by construing them as non-sexist. The first of these argumentative points that appears in Genesis is the creation of humankind. When God creates humankind he says, Let us make man in our image, after our likenessSo God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Gen:26-27). Earlier I mentioned how it appears as if God is equally creating the male and female sexes-he creates them in his own image, blesses them, and says unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earthand have dominion overevery living thing that moveth upon earth(Gen:27). At this point-before Adam and Eve are created-the notion that God created the sexes equally is mostly indisputable; however, once we get to the creation of Adam and Eve, controversy arises. The mere fact that God creates Adam first and Eve second implies that the male sex is of greater significance because in general, first means superior and last means inferior. Trible argues against this interpretation by focusing on the language of the text. She notes that the singular word humankind, shows that male and female are not opposite but rather harmonious sexesFrom the beginning, the word humankind is synonymous with the phrase male and female, though the components of this phrase are not synonymous with each other (18). This point can be argued because in some versions of the Bible, the word humankind is replaced with man, which clearly denotes male dominance. She concludes her argument by stating, Thus, the vocabulary of humanity in the poem disallows interpretations of the sexes as either antonyms or synonyms. It recognizes distinction within harmony (18). I find this argument to be weak because actions speak louder than words. The way in w hich something is written and the pronouns used are not half as important as what actually happens. For example, the way in which God creates Adam and Eve goes above and beyond to support the notion that the male sex was created superior. When God created Adam, He formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen 2:7). Adams creation is extraordinary and required God to use His divine power to form this being. On the other hand, Eves creation is less significant: the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribsand made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man (Gen 2:21-3). The means by which Eve was created is enough to be extremely suggestive that the woman is inferior to man. To begin with, Eve is a derivative of Adam. She is literally created from the rib (a very small part) of Adam, and thus is dependent on him for life. The words she was taken out of Man emphasize this point and indicate that Eve will occupy a place secondary to Adam. There is no suggestion here that woman mi ght be superior or even equal to man after reading this passage. While it is impossible to argue with the written words that woman was taken from mans rib, Trible challenges the interpretation that man was responsible for womans creation. She states that human life is Gods gift; it is not possession (81). She believes that for both man and woman, creation is an act of God and that when the man says bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh he is not implying that she is derived from him or subordinate to him. Rather, he is saying that he shares equally with the woman the dust of the ground and the origin of their lives. If the order in which man and woman came to life and the means by which they were created are not enough to convince you that Genesis is a sexist text, then perhaps we should observe the reason why woman was created in the first place. After putting man on earth, God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him (Gen 2:18). It is only then that God formed every living creature and subsequently woman is created. When God created Adam, He gave him a purpose on earth and tasks to fulfill: The Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (Gen 2:15). Additionally, Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him (Gen:20). It is only at this point-after Adam accomplished his tasks such as naming the creatures of the earth-that Eve is created. Thus, it is obvious that woman is created for the sake of man, merely t o cure his loneliness. Trible argues this notion that Eve was created for the sole purpose of being Adams helper by discussing the translation of the Hebrew text: The Hebrew word ezer, rendered here as companion, has been traditionally translated as helper-a translation that is totally misleading because the English word helper suggests an assistant, a subordinate, indeed, an inferior, while the Hebrew word ezer carries no such connotation (90). Tribles argument is interesting because one would never know this fact by just reading the King James Version of the Bible. However, I still find that even if Eve were a companion she would still be subordinate to Adam because of her role on earth. If it hadnt been for Adams existence (and loneliness), Eve would never have been created; thus, she is produced for the sake of man. The fourth point I found to be one of the most argumentative in all of Genesis is the naming of Woman. The fact that man names her clearly signifies that he has power over her, which in turn extends to universal male authority. Adam has just finished naming all the other creatures on earth after God brought them unto [him] to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof (Gen 2:19). Immediately after Adam names the creatures, he names the woman: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of Man, (Gen 2:23). The scene where Adam names Eve demonstrates his authority over her in a way similar to that by which he named the animals. While I feel it is obvious that man named woman in this scene, Phyllis Trible rejects this entire notion. Just as she did with the arguments regarding the order in which humankind was created and the purpose for Eves existence, Trible focuses on the language of the text to support her argumen t. zeroes in on the wording of the text: she shall be called woman (Gen 2:23). She believes that this does not imply Adam specifically named her, but rather she was to simply be called Woman. She explains that the verb call by itself does not mean naming; only when joined to the noun name does it become part of a naming formulaHence, in calling the woman, the man is not establishing power over her but rejoicing in their mutuality (100). I consider this argument to be particularly weak because she unreasonably discards this scene and generalizes that in order for the man to have named the woman, the wording in the text must be altered. While Trible focuses on the rhetoric, I feel that it is not the wording that is so essential to the text but rather the point that gets across. The final point that is necessary to discuss in order to fully understand why the Bible is a sexist text is the notion that women are considered to be responsible for the sin in the world. This belief is a result of the story of the Garden of Eden. When Eve is tempted to eat the forbidden fruit and in turn, tempts her husband to eat it as well, fault is placed on Eve and she is portrayed as the cause of humanitys fall. Both Adam and Eve are punished by God; however, Eves punishment is more severe than Adams: I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee (Gen 3:16). Eve is held responsible for the fall of humanity despite Adams free will; even though he listened to his wife and ate the forbidden fruit, he was not forced to do so. Obedience is the act of a choice. Why is it that, even though Adam and Eve committed the same crime, Eve is punished with pain during child birth and submission to her husband? This can only be explained by the fact that male authority is favored in this misogynist text. However, some, such as Trible beg to differ. She believes that, because God curses the serpent (cursed are you) and the man (cursed is the earth because of you) and not the woman anywhere else in the story, any claim that Yahwehs judgement upon her is the most severe of the three falters at this very point (126). Additionally, she states that at the same time, the lack of a curse does not mean that she is less responsible than either the serpent or the man-or that she is less a human being than the man (126). Trible considers Eves punishment to be equal to Adams and that they are both held accountable for eating the forbidden fruit: At their trial, the questions of God made clear their individual accountability; similarly, their confessions, although given separately, indicated mutual responsibility. Thus in judgement the woman is neither more nor less responsible than man (127). If Tribles perspective is valid, then how can we explain the reasoning behind Eves subordinate role to Adam? The answer is we cannot; it takes a perception such as that of Trible to understand the text in a non-sexist way. By recalling the five scenes I mentioned from Genesis, it is likely that one will perceive them to be obviously misogynistic. However, in order to find the significance behind these scenes, one must relate them to how they affect us now. It is easy to draw parallels between Eve and modern day women due to problems concerning gender equality. Eve is representative of all women because she symbolizes the origin of female inferiority. Although feminist efforts are becoming more and more successful in equalizing gender roles, there has long been discrimination towards the female sex. Not only in the workplace and at home, but the reputation of women has been seen as inferior to that of men. Now that we have analyzed a few crucial points in Genesis, we can draw conclusions as to where and why female inferiority began. Works Cited: The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: Penguin Group, 1974. Trible, Phyllis. God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality. Philadephia: Fortress Press, 1978.

Girl in the Window Analysis Paper

Brittaney Doss ENG 303 November 15, 2012 Girl in the window Response Questions 1. What is your initial reaction to this piece? Use descriptive language to describe how you felt while reading this. * I endured several emotions while reading this piece. It was an emotional roller coaster for me. Emotions of sadness, hopefulness, and happiness came over me while reading this piece. I was floored when reading the conditions of the home in the beginning of the piece; I couldn’t believe that people could live in such conditions, yet alone with a baby. I also was taken for a loop when I read the consequences that the mother received.I was extremely upset with the protocol of Child Protective Services. The testimonial from the mother made me angry. I too grew up in a toxic situation for most of my childhood. Although my conditions were not comparable to the environment that Danielle was in, I could feel that look that the writer described as pain and hopelessness. I could not have sym pathy for this woman and I couldn’t accept how she could justify her actions. 2. What is investigative journalism? * The journalist investigates and researches a specific topic for a long period of time.They use the newly found information and older facts to create the story. Their job is to uncover facts that have not been revealed. 3. Lane DeGregory (woman) wrote this piece. What can you find out about her online? * When I searched Lane I found links to her social network accounts, videos and personal website. I also found several articles about â€Å"Girl in the Window. † There was additional information on the journey that he endured while investigating Danielle’s story. Her copartner Melissa, who was a photojournalist, revealed information about Lane.I found information on how to contact and book her for group talks and information about other pieces in which she has written. 4. Discuss Lane DeGregory’s style in your own words. What’s working in this piece to make it a Pulitzer Prize winner? * She was able to incorporate imagery using descriptive words and placed quotes within the piece that added emotion and sensory. The chronological arrangement of the piece was done differently she started from beginning to end and kept it in order but also added known facts and interview questions that flowed and the transitions where very easy to follow.I thought the sub headings with in the story also created a change of scene almost. She incorporated all sides of the story from the social worker to the law enforcement to the doctors to the teachers to the adopting family and to the mother. It was like reading a documentary. After reading this peace I had no questions about what was next I felt that Dani was in great care and I had no doubt that she would get better. She didn’t leave a hanger for the reader. I was complete at the end of the article. That to me made it Pulitzer Prize worthy. 5.How does â€Å"Girl in the Wind ow† differ from other articles we’ve read? * The Girl in the Window reads like a story rather that an article. It has a rising action and a resolution. Normally articles don’t end with the happy ending; you have to research or follow up to find out more information. Lane included a start middle and ending to the piece. At the end of the article I felt like I was closing a book or there would be credits following the last word. 6. What qualities does it share with other articles we’ve read? * The very first article we read about James Cameron shares similar qualities.Both writers had to endure a long journey to collect information for these pieces. You can compare the on-site time spent by both authors. The two articles couldn’t have been written with dedicating the proper time. 7. What techniques were utilized and how did this article come together? * Lane used details and ravishing quotations throughout the piece. It was a timeline piece use great transitions and subheading to help the reader keep up. She used descriptive words and did a amazing job setting the scenes as she wrote about them. 8. How did Lane DeGregory build her characters in the story? Lane gives us background information about the Lierows and then at the end she lets us into the background of Dani’s birth mother. She lets the readers know about the characterictics of the Lierows by sharing their daily activities and there at home lifestyles. 9. What did Oprah do after she learned/read this article? * Oprah did a segment on Dani’s story and the exposure lead to strangers donating over $10,000 to fund her long term care cost. Later her parent released a book this year called Dani's Story: A Journey from Neglect to Love.

The Importance of Answering Questions in Complete Sentences

In language arts lessons, elementary school students learn that writing allows them to communicate ideas. But to do it effectively, they must understand the essential  elements of good writing.  This begins with sentence structure and unambiguous language that readers can easily comprehend. Some young students can find writing laborious. So, they often subconsciously rely on clipped answers in response to a writing prompt. For example, in a getting-to-know-you exercise at the beginning of the school year, you may ask your students to write answers to a few questions: What is your favorite food? What is your favorite color? What kind of pet do you have? Without instruction, the answers will likely come back as pizza, pink, or dog. Explain the Importance Now you can demonstrate to your students how, without context, those answers could mean something different than the writer intended. For instance, pizza could be the answer to any number of questions, such as: What did you have for lunch? What food do you hate? What food does your mother never let you eat? Teach students to answer questions in complete sentences to add detail and accuracy to their writing. Show them how to use keywords in the question itself as a cue when formulating their answer. Teachers refer to this technique as putting the question in the answer or turning the question around. In the example, the one-word statement pizza becomes a complete sentence, and a full thought, when the student writes, My favorite food is pizza. Demonstrate the Process Write a question on the board or an overhead projector for students to see. Begin with a simple question such as, What is the name of our school? Make sure the students understand the question. With first graders, you may need to clarify, whereas older students should get it right away. Then, ask students to identify the keywords in this question. You can help the class target them by asking the students to think about what information the answer to the question should  provide. In this case, its the name of our school. Now demonstrate to students that when you answer a question in a complete sentence, you use the keywords you identified from the question in your answer. For example, The name of our school is Fricano Elementary School. Make sure to underline the name of our school in the question on the overhead projector. Next, ask students to come up with another question. Assign one student to write the question on the board or overhead and another to underline the keywords. Then, ask another student to come up and answer the question in a complete sentence. Once students get the hang of working in a group, have them practice independently with a few of the following examples or with questions they come up with on their own. Practice Makes Perfect You can use the following examples to guide your students through skills practice until they get the hang of using complete sentences to answer a question. What is your favorite thing to do? Answer: My favorite thing to do is ... Who is your hero? Answer: My hero is ... Why do you like to read? Answer: I like to read because ... Who is the most important person in your life? Answer: The most important person in my life is ... What is your favorite subject in school? Answer: My favorite subject in school is ... What is your favorite book to read? Answer: My favorite book to read is ... What are you going to do this weekend? Answer: This weekend, Im going to ... What do you want to do when you grow up? Answer: When I grow up, I want to ...

The Good And Evil Of A City Erick Larson s The Devil

The Good and Evil of a City: Erick Larson’s The Devil in the White City Larson’s The Devil in the White City was written during the time of 1890’s era of the Chicago World Fair and culture in the American’s utopian ideals. Larson will introduce the main character Daniel Burnham and his connection with the 1893 Chicago World Fair and the foreshadowing of many death within the chapters. Throughout the book, Larson will be discussing that evil exists in the American city during the time of the fair. He also explains about an orderly pattern throughout the book, the comparison of the themes of good and evil and the city as a cover-up of many murdering during Daniel Burnham lives, and another character live, a crazy serial killer name H.H.†¦show more content†¦The Chicago city itself provided the vanishing of people, a cover-up after a murder. Holmes has everything that a typical American figure should be. A â€Å"handsome† and â€Å"unmarriedà ¢â‚¬  young doctor, now living in Chicago (46). It was to create a strong American Ideal, showing wealth and appearance. So, it was a way for him to blend into the population of Chicago while at the same time murdering people without their knowledge because he looks like an American Ideal. It was the control of space and anxiety from the people. His murdering of Mrs. Holton was a success because of his cover up that she is visiting California, and buying her drug store. (45 – 47). â€Å"Holmes smiled and explained that she had decided to visit a relative in California, something she had wanted could not have done with her husband on his deathbed†¦. sometime modified the story by saying she had decided to settle their permanently† (47). Throughout the book, Larson spread evil in Holmes’s character. It was considered where evil genuinely lurk. Larson let his reader explore Holmes and that he is a serial killer who murders without hesitation to do with the in clusion of tampering into people’s lives to get what he wants. Larson’s sets H.H. Holmes as the example of evil and David Burnham as the good. According to chapter 5, Larson explained that Myrta Z Belknap, a â€Å"beautiful, lush figure, blond woman†