ENG208.001 -- Survey of British Literature: Beginnings to 1789

Prof. Eileen Joy

Fall 2007

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS #4 (Paradise Lost, Books IV & IX)

Figure 1. Adam and Eve by Albrecht Durer

Respond to TWO of the following prompts:

1. Note Milton's treatment of Adam and Eve in Books IV & IX, particularly his opinions concerning marriage and the gender roles appropriate to each sex. Based on the depiction of Eve, what can you deduce about Milton's attitude towards women?

2. Look carefully at how Satan convinces Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in Book IX [lines 532-732]. What types of arguments doe he employ, and why do you think he is ultimately successful?

3. Look carefully at Eve's reasoning with herself and Adam as to why Adam should also eat the fruit [lines 816-885]--what kind of arguments is she making here and what do think of them?

4. Examine how Adam reasons with himself why he should also eat the fruit [lines 896-959]--what are his reasons for and against it, why does he ultimately give in, and how do you judge his final action in relation to his words?

5. How does Adam and Eve's relationship change after eating the forbidden fruit together [look carefully at how they argue with each other, as well as their sexual relations and attitude toward each other]? Does this change make sense to you, and why, or why not?

Please respond to the questions with full, complete sentences. You should write at least one typed, double-spaced page in response to each prompt (but let's not get distracted by these fine points of detail--what matters to me is that you respond to the prompts with thoughtfulness and care and show me that you have something of substance to say in relation to the reading and discussions we have had in class, and what that ultimately means is: MORE is always better than less, but one page is the minimum for each prompt). The questions are always interpretive in nature, and therefore there are NO right or wrong answers, only your interpretive opinion (an opinion, nevertheless, that's hopefully grounded in a close reading of the text as well as a close attention to background material presented in class). Be sure to always quote specific passages from the text, as well as paraphrase specific scenes, in order to support your observations and ideas (that will help you practice a skill that will become an absolute necessity when you are writing your critical essays). Furthermore, be sure to demonstrate that you have read the entire text in question; for example, do not respond to the question by only referring to events that occur in only one place in the text, or I will assume you have not done the entire reading. While one page per prompt does not give you enough room to point out everything in the text that you think is pertinent to the question, I expect to see you highlight enough aspects of the text that it is clear to me that you have read the beginning, middle, and end. And finally, NO SUMMARIES OF PLOT!!!