Hey guys! I'm pretty sure y'all already know that I'm Brianna-- last name Paris. I hate writing bios because it's always really awkward, but here it goes.
I may or may not have an obsession with sports. Mainly football, but I also enjoy basketball, soccer, baseball, hockey, etc. Music is essential. To name some of my favorites, I love The Black Keys, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, The [[#|Lumineers]], The Civil Wars, and especially NEEDTOBREATHE. The list goes on and on. I enjoy reading. A lot. Proud Harry Potter nerd right here! While I may not always love going to [[#|school]], I love Wren more than anything. I hope to go to Clemson and eventually figure out what God has planned for my life, but until then, I'm really not sure what I want to do. I have too many interests, which I guess is better than having none. Hope you've had fun creeping on my bio. K bye. :)
Genesis 1-3
This assignment couldn't have started off any more powerful. It says, "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth." GOD created-- not some random person, some explosion in the universe, but God. With a capital G. The one and only. What's even more impressive is that He had the [[#|power]] to create everything that we know within the span of 7 days. Some argue about the 7 days being nonliteral, but no matter what you believe on that point, it's still completely mind blowing that one being could create such a masterpiece. While rereading this part of scripture, I came to truly understand how crazy it is that man was created in the image of God. When the Bible says "image", I think of a reflection. For example, when you look into a lake to see [[#|your]] reflection you can't see all the details but you can make out the general shape and features. I believe in this way, we are a reflection of God. In addition, God gives man dominion over everything else that He had created. His intention was for man to keep everything in order and under control. It struck me as I was reading that once sin enters the world man no longer controls everything else, but everything else begins to control man. We continually let our circumstances control how we live and what we do. When God created woman, He wanted her to complement Adam. She was to stay by his side and help him improve upon his strengths. The presence of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is somewhat ironic. Adam and Eve knew no difference between good and evil because all they had ever had was "good". The only way they could differentiate was the one statement from God that they should not eat the fruit of this tree. I find it interesting that the devil is depicted as a serpent in the story. Snakes are sneaky, poisonous, and can wrap themselves around you in no time. He spoke poisonous words into Eve's ears, and when she saw the fruit she was not supposed to have she ate it with little hesitation. However, what you see is not always what you get. What she thought was going to be a tasty a fruit turned into the most bitter subject of a Christian's existence. Everyone always jumps to say everything was Eve's fault, or that Adam was just as guilty. In this argument we lose sight of who the true evil is. The blame and the attempts at justification are proof of sin entering the world. Why would people feel there was a need to blame and justify if something bad, which Adam and Eve had not known before, hadn't come into effect? Sin is a reality. A sad one, but a real one. This is also shown by the fact that Adam and Eve were unashamed before they disobeyed God, but they became completely ashamed afterwards. God had literally given them everything they would have needed for a perfect life, but they took it for granted, and caused the plague that humanity could never get rid of-- sin. Their story shows that disobeying God disappoints God while degrading yourself. First Partner Response (2/27/13): Genesis 1-3 So, I really like how you addressed the opposing view/opinion/argument in the first few lines. That takes care of a lot of questions people would have about the passage and your response. And I loved the depth of your view on man being made in God's image. I had never thought about that wording as anything other than a picture/replica before, so that was an eye opener for me. I completely agree with what you said about how the world begins to control man once Adam and Eve sinned! I didn't ever think of this story in that way either. I also found it interesting that they had to trust what God said because they didn't know how to tell the difference. I think it's kind of like a parent with their child; parents always expect their teenagers and kids to learn from their (the parents') mistakes, and even though the teenagers heard their parents' warnings, they were tempted and did it anyways. But, they found out that their parents were right all along in the end. I don't know, that's just a little thing I've always thought about. Overall, I really liked reading this. I had definitely not thought about some of that stuff the way you did and really enjoyed reading different thoughts! You have a really in depth thought process too, and can convey those thoughts really effectively so keep it up : ) -Larissa
Reader Response #2: "On the Marionette Theater"
First off I would like to say that I don't really understand why people took offense to this story. This story is about grace and perfection and how that is unattainable for us. We can all admit to this being true, no matter what we believe. It is not merely referring to marionettes being better dancers, but to the reasons why we as humans, cannot live up to that. I was really confused as to what the point of the story was because of all the talk of puppets and dancers. However, as the story went on I began to see what the friend was talking about and even started agreeing with him. When we are unconscious of how great we are, this is what makes us great. While we can't hope to obtain infinite consciousness, God can, and He is certainly graceful and perfect. The two stories the man and his friend told are what really brought the whole thing together for me. The young boy who suddenly noticed his vanity could never be that beautiful again. We see this in how he tries and tries to replicate the movement but fails over and over again. In consciously knowing of the grace he possessed, that same grace began to dwindle and disappear. He went from unconsciousness to consciousness. One of the main things I got from the bear story was that everything has a master. As human beings, we like to believe that we are the masters of other things. This is untrue. Everything can be beaten. I mean, Alabama did lose to A&M didn't they? Even the team that was thought to be the greatest lost at one point. There will always be someone or something with more or less consciousness that can compete with you. In the story, it was the bear. Because the bear didn't think too much about how the other person was fighting, it was able to best him by knowing when his safety was truly in jeopardy. The ending of the story is what really confused me the most. With the mention of the tree of knowledge, I had no idea what to think. Is it saying that we can become even more knowledgeable? How would that change things for us in the areas of sin and perfection? Partner Response #2 (3/10/13): "On the Marionette Theatre" I completely agree with that first sentence! Everyone was getting so upset because they dance, but I'm 100% sure they missed the point entirely. Also, with being confused, I was severely lost until about the last page. I kind of like how he did that though. I felt like it was a puzzle that he was letting us solve with our imagination, and then at the end he was just like... BAM! This is what it's all about. Anyways, I like how you worded what you got out of both the stories. I couldn't put mine as nicely! It's interesting that you pointed out the fact everything had a master too, because I also picked up on that but wasn't sure of it's significance. I think what you said about everything having a master was spot on though. I especially liked the sports reference! I mean, did Clemson beat LSU? Did the Ravens beat the Patriots? Crazy upsets happen all of the time. To answer your questions, I think that what we said in class was pretty accurate for the tree part. I think he was saying that there has to be another tree, and therefore another choice. Secondly, maybe that would allow us humans to go back to perfection and start over with no sin? I'm not entirely sure. There are so many different ways you can analyze each line in this story! Good job on your in depth analysis though, I really enjoyed reading it!
Reader Response #3: "Plato's Allegory of the Cave"
First off, I was completely captivated by this story. I could picture what he was explaining so well in my head that I Understood exactly what he was saying. If one only sees shadows for their entire life, what will they believe when they see things in the light? They won't know what to believe. Without anyone to tell them differently I assume they would just always look at the shadows of objects. However, once someone tells them they're wrong they will probably reject the idea first and then slowly come to realize what is real and what is fake. Imagine naming the shape of everything you have never known. Then, others tell you that they are something completely different. You would feel as if your life is a lie. This brings up an important theory. Who's to say that this doesn't apply to our beliefs, what we have named things, the objects we see, the way we think? We could believe one thing when the truth is the exact opposite. It a concept that is really weird to think about but really cocoa at the same time. Your perception is something that is extremely important. Without it, we would be lost, basing our lives off of shadows. Just as a side note, never try to write one of these on an iPad. It's a pain in the butt. Partner Response #3 (3/17/13): "Plato's Allegory of the Cave" Okay, so my computer decided to be completly obnoxious today and have a blue screen until just now, so I'm just getting my response in now for that reason. Sorry! But, anyways: I am really glad you understand and enjoyed this theory! It's been one of my favorites since I read it in 8th grade. I think it's really interesting that you mainly focused on the outcome of being in the cave, rather than the actual time spent in the cave. I usually focus my thoughts on the process and image of the inside of the cave, rather than the outside. In response to your theory, I think that is exactly what Plato is alluding to throughout this allegory. I think he is saying that everything we see, everything we think... It's all relative. The people chained to the wall, enslaved and made to imagine life as they know it, are just being fed lies. This theory applies to everything: religion, education, work, relationships, etc. Which also brings up an interesting idea: if everyone is left to imagine the shadows for what they "are," that means everyone's imagination is translating the image to each person's brain differently. Just an interesting thought of individualism within society, and maybe an allusion to a unified thought. Overall, pretty cool response!
Reader Response #4: Book 2 of Paradise Lost
I thought this book was really interesting. I find it really cool and slightly humorous that there are all these fallen angels sitting around in Hell trying to come with a diplomatic resolution to how they should approach things. I suppose whenever we think about them, we demonize them to extreme levels. We never really see them as having different logical opinions, but more of a unified and determined force against all things good. I love how the opinions are so different. Moloch is completely for an all out war. He seems to be the most vengeful and impulsive of the group, possibly even outdoing Satan in these areas. Belial seems the most political of them all with his practiced intelligence and talk of "peace". Mammon's argument seems to be the most reasonable to me. They could avoid war and make a successful kingdom of their own. It seems like a win-win situation. One thing that stood out to me was that it was Beelzebub who delivered Satan's idea. Didn't he disagree with Satan in the first book? I'm just wondering why he allows himself to be used as a pawn in Satan's political game. I guess I just thought he would be a little more independent. However, Satan's use of Beelzebub was a great strategy. He let someone else take the heat for the idea while he reaped the glory that came from volunteering for such a "selfless" task. One question kind of came to me while I was reading. Did any of the devils truly regret the rebellion? Sometimes it seemed to me that they weren't happy with how everything worked out and that they wished they were in good favor with God, but that could just be because of their circumstances. What makes this book especially interesting is how it perfectly reflects the political struggles that were going on during Milton's time. While they were putting on the face of a democracy (the meeting, the proposals, the decision making), it really was a kind of monarchy due to Satan's corruption and deceptions. Partner Response #4 (3/24/13): "Book 2 of Paradise Lost" In response to your question, I believe Beelzebub did disagree with Satan in the first book. But, not in the way of "you're wrong Satan, there's a better way." I think it was more of an attempt at guidance. Beelzebub was on the fence about the plan, and was in a way trying to sway Satan's opinions a little. Ultimately, Satan was too manipulative for Beelzebub though. I viewed Beelzebub's relationship with Satan in the way that a king has his right hand man. The right hand man is always trying to give his two cents to the king, and is often right, but ultimately the king shuts him down and does what he (the king) thinks is best. And (to your second question), I kinda got the feeling that they were all really scared of what they had done. Sort of like when you make the conscious decision to do something your parents told you not to do. While you're doing it, you feel really guilty for disobeying your parents, however you still do it because you want to. That's just how I thought of it.
Reader Response #5: Books 9-12 of "Paradise Lost"
As I was reading through this I was writing notes down like crazy. I got a lot from this even though I was really confused at times, especially in books 9 and 12. In Book 9, I feel like Eve is trying to say that they cannot come across harm until they have sinned. She doesn't believe this will happen, and urges Adam to allow them to go separate ways. He argues that they should not separate. They have been given both free will and reason, so they're better off together because they're less likely to abandon reason and submit to the "Foe". In line 364, Adam says "seek not temptation" which I believe is a bit of foreshadowing of what Eve will come to do. This seems like a weird role reversal from today's relationships. Most of the time it is the woman who thinks more logically and is dependent upon the other; in this case it is Adam. My favorite line is probably 375. Adam says, "For God towards thee hath done his part: do thine." God has given them all the tools they need for a happy and perfect life; it just makes sense to do as much as you can to honor Him. Eve believe Satan won't go after her since she is the weakest. In my opinion, Eve IS Adam's weakness, so why wouldn't Satan exploit this. It would be the perfect tactic. When Eve first eats the fruit, she does not seem guilty whatsoever. She pluck and she eats, greedily partaking without restraint. She had no second thoughts; she was all about the momentary pleasure, much like people are today. Adam immediately knows what has been done is very wrong. I find it really interesting that he sees no way of the situation for himself. There's a big contrast in lines 895-905. It talks of Eve's perfection before and how now that has been ruined. From Adam's perspective, he cannot live without her. Line 916 really reminded me of the marriage vow "For better or for worse". Although Adam could probably find a way around sinning, he chooses to stay with Eve through the bad. In Book 11, it says that man will now know good and evil, as opposed to just good. God says they would have been happier just knowing good, which reminds me of everything we discussed about the cave theory. Book 12 took me a while to fully understand, but it is the one that really struck a cord with me. Eve obviously realized the awful thing she has caused. She accepts the punishment given to her. And surprisingly, she acknowledges her unworthiness. Like any other human beings would, Adam and Eve cry as they are leaving Paradise. This shows that they know sadness that they wouldn't have known before. Would crying have been something "natural" to them before the fall? Because I don't think so. The story ends in the best way that it could considering the circumstances. They leave sad, but holding onto each other, taking on the world together.
P.S. Sorry this is so long. My bad. Partner Response #5 (3/31/13): "Books 9-12 of Paradise Lost" I was really confused with the 9th and 12th book as well. There was a lot to take in with those excerpts. I didn't catch the foreshadowing that you did, but that definitely makes sense now that you mention it. Women now days are definitely the more logical ones in relationships, and men are often more emotional and on a mission to prove themselves like it seemed Eve was trying to do. I feel like crying would be showing sadness, which would mean they weren't happy in the garden. Since we already covered that Eve was unhappy though, I feel like it might have been normal for them to cry about leaving behind such a great place. But that's just my take on it. Really nice understanding of the passages!
Hey guys! I'm pretty sure y'all already know that I'm Brianna-- last name Paris. I hate writing bios because it's always really awkward, but here it goes.
I may or may not have an obsession with sports. Mainly football, but I also enjoy basketball, soccer, baseball, hockey, etc. Music is essential. To name some of my favorites, I love The Black Keys, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, The [[#|Lumineers]], The Civil Wars, and especially NEEDTOBREATHE. The list goes on and on. I enjoy reading. A lot. Proud Harry Potter nerd right here! While I may not always love going to [[#|school]], I love Wren more than anything. I hope to go to Clemson and eventually figure out what God has planned for my life, but until then, I'm really not sure what I want to do. I have too many interests, which I guess is better than having none. Hope you've had fun creeping on my bio. K bye. :)
Genesis 1-3
This assignment couldn't have started off any more powerful. It says, "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth." GOD created-- not some random person, some explosion in the universe, but God. With a capital G. The one and only. What's even more impressive is that He had the [[#|power]] to create everything that we know within the span of 7 days. Some argue about the 7 days being nonliteral, but no matter what you believe on that point, it's still completely mind blowing that one being could create such a masterpiece. While rereading this part of scripture, I came to truly understand how crazy it is that man was created in the image of God. When the Bible says "image", I think of a reflection. For example, when you look into a lake to see [[#|your]] reflection you can't see all the details but you can make out the general shape and features. I believe in this way, we are a reflection of God. In addition, God gives man dominion over everything else that He had created. His intention was for man to keep everything in order and under control. It struck me as I was reading that once sin enters the world man no longer controls everything else, but everything else begins to control man. We continually let our circumstances control how we live and what we do. When God created woman, He wanted her to complement Adam. She was to stay by his side and help him improve upon his strengths. The presence of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is somewhat ironic. Adam and Eve knew no difference between good and evil because all they had ever had was "good". The only way they could differentiate was the one statement from God that they should not eat the fruit of this tree. I find it interesting that the devil is depicted as a serpent in the story. Snakes are sneaky, poisonous, and can wrap themselves around you in no time. He spoke poisonous words into Eve's ears, and when she saw the fruit she was not supposed to have she ate it with little hesitation. However, what you see is not always what you get. What she thought was going to be a tasty a fruit turned into the most bitter subject of a Christian's existence. Everyone always jumps to say everything was Eve's fault, or that Adam was just as guilty. In this argument we lose sight of who the true evil is. The blame and the attempts at justification are proof of sin entering the world. Why would people feel there was a need to blame and justify if something bad, which Adam and Eve had not known before, hadn't come into effect? Sin is a reality. A sad one, but a real one. This is also shown by the fact that Adam and Eve were unashamed before they disobeyed God, but they became completely ashamed afterwards. God had literally given them everything they would have needed for a perfect life, but they took it for granted, and caused the plague that humanity could never get rid of-- sin. Their story shows that disobeying God disappoints God while degrading yourself.
First Partner Response (2/27/13): Genesis 1-3
So, I really like how you addressed the opposing view/opinion/argument in the first few lines. That takes care of a lot of questions people would have about the passage and your response. And I loved the depth of your view on man being made in God's image. I had never thought about that wording as anything other than a picture/replica before, so that was an eye opener for me. I completely agree with what you said about how the world begins to control man once Adam and Eve sinned! I didn't ever think of this story in that way either. I also found it interesting that they had to trust what God said because they didn't know how to tell the difference. I think it's kind of like a parent with their child; parents always expect their teenagers and kids to learn from their (the parents') mistakes, and even though the teenagers heard their parents' warnings, they were tempted and did it anyways. But, they found out that their parents were right all along in the end. I don't know, that's just a little thing I've always thought about. Overall, I really liked reading this. I had definitely not thought about some of that stuff the way you did and really enjoyed reading different thoughts! You have a really in depth thought process too, and can convey those thoughts really effectively so keep it up : )
-Larissa
Reader Response #2: "On the Marionette Theater"
First off I would like to say that I don't really understand why people took offense to this story. This story is about grace and perfection and how that is unattainable for us. We can all admit to this being true, no matter what we believe. It is not merely referring to marionettes being better dancers, but to the reasons why we as humans, cannot live up to that. I was really confused as to what the point of the story was because of all the talk of puppets and dancers. However, as the story went on I began to see what the friend was talking about and even started agreeing with him. When we are unconscious of how great we are, this is what makes us great. While we can't hope to obtain infinite consciousness, God can, and He is certainly graceful and perfect. The two stories the man and his friend told are what really brought the whole thing together for me. The young boy who suddenly noticed his vanity could never be that beautiful again. We see this in how he tries and tries to replicate the movement but fails over and over again. In consciously knowing of the grace he possessed, that same grace began to dwindle and disappear. He went from unconsciousness to consciousness. One of the main things I got from the bear story was that everything has a master. As human beings, we like to believe that we are the masters of other things. This is untrue. Everything can be beaten. I mean, Alabama did lose to A&M didn't they? Even the team that was thought to be the greatest lost at one point. There will always be someone or something with more or less consciousness that can compete with you. In the story, it was the bear. Because the bear didn't think too much about how the other person was fighting, it was able to best him by knowing when his safety was truly in jeopardy. The ending of the story is what really confused me the most. With the mention of the tree of knowledge, I had no idea what to think. Is it saying that we can become even more knowledgeable? How would that change things for us in the areas of sin and perfection?
Partner Response #2 (3/10/13): "On the Marionette Theatre"
I completely agree with that first sentence! Everyone was getting so upset because they dance, but I'm 100% sure they missed the point entirely. Also, with being confused, I was severely lost until about the last page. I kind of like how he did that though. I felt like it was a puzzle that he was letting us solve with our imagination, and then at the end he was just like... BAM! This is what it's all about. Anyways, I like how you worded what you got out of both the stories. I couldn't put mine as nicely! It's interesting that you pointed out the fact everything had a master too, because I also picked up on that but wasn't sure of it's significance. I think what you said about everything having a master was spot on though. I especially liked the sports reference! I mean, did Clemson beat LSU? Did the Ravens beat the Patriots? Crazy upsets happen all of the time. To answer your questions, I think that what we said in class was pretty accurate for the tree part. I think he was saying that there has to be another tree, and therefore another choice. Secondly, maybe that would allow us humans to go back to perfection and start over with no sin? I'm not entirely sure. There are so many different ways you can analyze each line in this story! Good job on your in depth analysis though, I really enjoyed reading it!
Reader Response #3: "Plato's Allegory of the Cave"
First off, I was completely captivated by this story. I could picture what he was explaining so well in my head that I Understood exactly what he was saying. If one only sees shadows for their entire life, what will they believe when they see things in the light? They won't know what to believe. Without anyone to tell them differently I assume they would just always look at the shadows of objects. However, once someone tells them they're wrong they will probably reject the idea first and then slowly come to realize what is real and what is fake. Imagine naming the shape of everything you have never known. Then, others tell you that they are something completely different. You would feel as if your life is a lie. This brings up an important theory. Who's to say that this doesn't apply to our beliefs, what we have named things, the objects we see, the way we think? We could believe one thing when the truth is the exact opposite. It a concept that is really weird to think about but really cocoa at the same time. Your perception is something that is extremely important. Without it, we would be lost, basing our lives off of shadows. Just as a side note, never try to write one of these on an iPad. It's a pain in the butt.
Partner Response #3 (3/17/13): "Plato's Allegory of the Cave"
Okay, so my computer decided to be completly obnoxious today and have a blue screen until just now, so I'm just getting my response in now for that reason. Sorry! But, anyways: I am really glad you understand and enjoyed this theory! It's been one of my favorites since I read it in 8th grade. I think it's really interesting that you mainly focused on the outcome of being in the cave, rather than the actual time spent in the cave. I usually focus my thoughts on the process and image of the inside of the cave, rather than the outside. In response to your theory, I think that is exactly what Plato is alluding to throughout this allegory. I think he is saying that everything we see, everything we think... It's all relative. The people chained to the wall, enslaved and made to imagine life as they know it, are just being fed lies. This theory applies to everything: religion, education, work, relationships, etc. Which also brings up an interesting idea: if everyone is left to imagine the shadows for what they "are," that means everyone's imagination is translating the image to each person's brain differently. Just an interesting thought of individualism within society, and maybe an allusion to a unified thought. Overall, pretty cool response!
Reader Response #4: Book 2 of Paradise Lost
I thought this book was really interesting. I find it really cool and slightly humorous that there are all these fallen angels sitting around in Hell trying to come with a diplomatic resolution to how they should approach things. I suppose whenever we think about them, we demonize them to extreme levels. We never really see them as having different logical opinions, but more of a unified and determined force against all things good. I love how the opinions are so different. Moloch is completely for an all out war. He seems to be the most vengeful and impulsive of the group, possibly even outdoing Satan in these areas. Belial seems the most political of them all with his practiced intelligence and talk of "peace". Mammon's argument seems to be the most reasonable to me. They could avoid war and make a successful kingdom of their own. It seems like a win-win situation. One thing that stood out to me was that it was Beelzebub who delivered Satan's idea. Didn't he disagree with Satan in the first book? I'm just wondering why he allows himself to be used as a pawn in Satan's political game. I guess I just thought he would be a little more independent. However, Satan's use of Beelzebub was a great strategy. He let someone else take the heat for the idea while he reaped the glory that came from volunteering for such a "selfless" task. One question kind of came to me while I was reading. Did any of the devils truly regret the rebellion? Sometimes it seemed to me that they weren't happy with how everything worked out and that they wished they were in good favor with God, but that could just be because of their circumstances. What makes this book especially interesting is how it perfectly reflects the political struggles that were going on during Milton's time. While they were putting on the face of a democracy (the meeting, the proposals, the decision making), it really was a kind of monarchy due to Satan's corruption and deceptions.
Partner Response #4 (3/24/13): "Book 2 of Paradise Lost"
In response to your question, I believe Beelzebub did disagree with Satan in the first book. But, not in the way of "you're wrong Satan, there's a better way." I think it was more of an attempt at guidance. Beelzebub was on the fence about the plan, and was in a way trying to sway Satan's opinions a little. Ultimately, Satan was too manipulative for Beelzebub though. I viewed Beelzebub's relationship with Satan in the way that a king has his right hand man. The right hand man is always trying to give his two cents to the king, and is often right, but ultimately the king shuts him down and does what he (the king) thinks is best. And (to your second question), I kinda got the feeling that they were all really scared of what they had done. Sort of like when you make the conscious decision to do something your parents told you not to do. While you're doing it, you feel really guilty for disobeying your parents, however you still do it because you want to. That's just how I thought of it.
Reader Response #5: Books 9-12 of "Paradise Lost"
As I was reading through this I was writing notes down like crazy. I got a lot from this even though I was really confused at times, especially in books 9 and 12. In Book 9, I feel like Eve is trying to say that they cannot come across harm until they have sinned. She doesn't believe this will happen, and urges Adam to allow them to go separate ways. He argues that they should not separate. They have been given both free will and reason, so they're better off together because they're less likely to abandon reason and submit to the "Foe". In line 364, Adam says "seek not temptation" which I believe is a bit of foreshadowing of what Eve will come to do. This seems like a weird role reversal from today's relationships. Most of the time it is the woman who thinks more logically and is dependent upon the other; in this case it is Adam. My favorite line is probably 375. Adam says, "For God towards thee hath done his part: do thine." God has given them all the tools they need for a happy and perfect life; it just makes sense to do as much as you can to honor Him. Eve believe Satan won't go after her since she is the weakest. In my opinion, Eve IS Adam's weakness, so why wouldn't Satan exploit this. It would be the perfect tactic. When Eve first eats the fruit, she does not seem guilty whatsoever. She pluck and she eats, greedily partaking without restraint. She had no second thoughts; she was all about the momentary pleasure, much like people are today. Adam immediately knows what has been done is very wrong. I find it really interesting that he sees no way of the situation for himself. There's a big contrast in lines 895-905. It talks of Eve's perfection before and how now that has been ruined. From Adam's perspective, he cannot live without her. Line 916 really reminded me of the marriage vow "For better or for worse". Although Adam could probably find a way around sinning, he chooses to stay with Eve through the bad. In Book 11, it says that man will now know good and evil, as opposed to just good. God says they would have been happier just knowing good, which reminds me of everything we discussed about the cave theory. Book 12 took me a while to fully understand, but it is the one that really struck a cord with me. Eve obviously realized the awful thing she has caused. She accepts the punishment given to her. And surprisingly, she acknowledges her unworthiness. Like any other human beings would, Adam and Eve cry as they are leaving Paradise. This shows that they know sadness that they wouldn't have known before. Would crying have been something "natural" to them before the fall? Because I don't think so. The story ends in the best way that it could considering the circumstances. They leave sad, but holding onto each other, taking on the world together.
P.S. Sorry this is so long. My bad.
Partner Response #5 (3/31/13): "Books 9-12 of Paradise Lost"
I was really confused with the 9th and 12th book as well. There was a lot to take in with those excerpts. I didn't catch the foreshadowing that you did, but that definitely makes sense now that you mention it. Women now days are definitely the more logical ones in relationships, and men are often more emotional and on a mission to prove themselves like it seemed Eve was trying to do. I feel like crying would be showing sadness, which would mean they weren't happy in the garden. Since we already covered that Eve was unhappy though, I feel like it might have been normal for them to cry about leaving behind such a great place. But that's just my take on it. Really nice understanding of the passages!