paradise lost:Feministic perspective

Ø Name – Dhiman Nisha A.

Ø Topic – paradise lost; Feministic perspective

Ø Paper name – Renaissance Literature

Ø Roll no – 32

Ø Year – 2014-2016

Ø Study – M.A

Ø SEM –1

Ø Guided by – Dr. Dilip Barad

Ø Submitted by – Department of English

Ø University – Maharaja Krishna kumarsinghji Bhavnagar university

John Milton’s Paradise Lost

•         John Milton: 1608-1674 (late in Renaissance)

              Puritan Commonwealth instead of English monarchy.  Milton served as Latin secretary to Oliver Cromwell, big supporter of republican rather than monarchical government he was politics are fairly left-wing. he was supports freedom of press and language  was supports increasing powers of Parliament at expense of monarch sees poetry as didactic -a teaching tool use vary artificial  way in this creation.

Ø Knowledge from experience:

                                                         Milton aware of Renaissance science based on observation and experiments on nature .Eve practices inductive reasoning in Book 9 when she moves from observation of examples to “big” conclusions--very much like a Renaissance scientistobserves effect of tree on serpent, inductively reasons possible effect on herself.

Milton caught between 2 currents

Ø Bible & Christian theology

•         reads Biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew

•         admires early Church fathers such as Augustine

•         admires early Church before Constantine

Ø Classical learning & languages

•         reads classical languages of Homeric Greek and Latin

•         admires epic poetry of Homer and Virgil

•         sees poetry as telling the story of a culture’s origin

v Milton: feminist:

                                First Renaissance Eve not entirely blamed.Eve not seen as sexual temptress. Eve associated with a desire for knowledge much like Milton’s God speaks to Eve, & does not appear to her.

v Milton Misogynist

•         Eve created differently

–       created from part of Adam

–       created after Adam

–       first action is to look down, towards earth

•         “He for God only, she for God in him.”

•         God appears to Adam

What is feminism ?

Feminism is a multi- disciplinary approach to sex and gender equally understood through social theories and political activism. Historically, feminism has evolved from the critical examination of inequlity between the sexes to a moral nuanced focus on the social performative construction of  gender and sexuality. Feminism theory now aims to interrogate gender inequalities and to effect change in areas where gender and sexuality politic create power imbalances. Intellectual and academic discussion of these inequalities allows our student to go into the world aware of injustices and to work toward changing unhealthy gender dynamics in in any scenario.

                               Paradise lost  is an epic type poem. When I read paradise lost reading that my first impression that  a very wonderful describing this epic. Feminist political activites campaigan in areas such as reproducative rights domestic violence gay marriage , and work issues such as family  medical levale , equal play, and sexual harshment and discrimination anytime stereotyping objections infringements   of human rights or gender or sexuality  - based oppression occurs , it’s feminist isssu.

Ø Character Eve:

                                   This study will examine the character of Eve in John Milton's Paradise Lost. Specifically, the study will analyze Eve's motives for separating from Adam (before the temptation); for eating the fruit; and for sharing the fruit with Adam. Also to be considered is how and why her motives changed from situation to situation.

                                   Eve is clearly portrayed by Milton as the cause of the fall from grace. In each scene, she seems to have made up her mind about what she is going to do---leave Adam to work separately in Eden, eat the fruit, and share the fruit with Adam---before she even starts considering. She shapes her reasoning to fit the decision she seems to have already made. Each decision is also clearly rebellious and/or selfish. Essentially, Eve does exactly what she wants to do, tempting danger at each point. Her motive in each case is to follow her own will and to resist the imposition of either the will of God or Adam.

                                                            In the first scene, Eve suggests to Adam that they will get more work done in tending Eden if they split up instead of working together. The implication seems to be that even though they start work early every day, they get little done because they keep distracting one another with their love: "For while so near each other thus all day/ Our task we choose, what wonder if so near/ Looks intervene and smiles, or object new/ Casual discourse draws on, which intermits/ Our day's work, brought to little, though begun/ Early, and th' hour of supper comes unearned!"  At least on the surface, then, her motivation for separating is to get more work done, which would seem to be a way to please God, although the latter is not stated but only implied.

                                                                                             

                                      Adam says it is a good suggestion to split up and work separately, and he says that perhaps it would be good for their love to be apart for a "short absence," because "solitude sometimes is best society,And short retirement urges sweet return"

                                                 Howerver,  Adam points out that God wants them together because it is dangerous to work apart. He says they would be more likely to be ensnared by the serpent, the "malicious foe" , if they were separated. He goes on to suggest that the woman, the wife, would be especially vulnerable to the wiles of the serpent and his temptations. As might have been predicted, all Eve hears from Adam's long speech is what she interprets as an insult to her womanhood. She agrees there is a tempter waiting, "but that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt/ To God or thee, because we have a foe/ May tempt it, I expected not to hear" Adam backs off a little from his charge, but generally maintains the same argument. Eve changes her motive at that point, arguing not about work but about freedom. She says they can hardly be in a state of freedom if they are penned up out of fear of the serpent. She even argues that only by separating can they good effect of nature.

                                               

                                               Is amazing that possibly the most important event in the history of mankind is related by the Torah in one curt, choppy verse: So the woman, seeing that the tree was good for meat, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to get knowledge, took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also (gam) to her husband with her (imam), and he did eat.

                                                       

Here Milton says that                 

Conclusion….

                    The next important soliloquy is placed is placed in the mouth of Eve. Just after she has tasted the fruit. It reveals her folly, frivolity and triviality. Eve is more than a little intoxicated person euphoria. She no only feels justified in all her actions, s feels that she is in complete command of the situation. Like the serpent that tempted her. Eve felt elated, and even thought of the possibility of her becoming a god. She felt that was growing mature in knowledge. Who is so high and at such a distance, has not seen her, or, perhaps He is too busy with other matters to take note of such a petty  violation of the fruity. The she deliberate is whether she should tell all about the day’s happening to Adam or not. First she thinks that she  should keep the secret to herself and Adam the knowledge and thus claim equality or even superiority over him