I need help with the mythology essay

Genesis Myth

“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created male and female. He created them. And God blessed them.” (Leonard, Mcclure, 87) Unfortunately, the sentiment that men and women are equals is contradicted several times in the Genesis myth. The Genesis myth has had a negative influence on women’s roles in society that continually have impacts in today’s modern world. The myth describes women’s purpose as being subservient to men, women are easily swayed and manipulated, and that for seeking knowledge, women deserve the painful shame of childbirth. This patriarchal creation myth has played a role in justifying the suppression of equal rights throughout history and is still debated today.

To begin, the sole reason for the creation of woman in the myth was purely to give Adam a companion to serve him, as all the animals God had already created were unsuitable and left him wanting. A woman’s role in society if defined by how subservient she is to her husband. The myth never mentions women having desires of their own, they are simply the belongings of their male counterparts. According to the story, “…but for Adam, there was not found a helper suitable for him…And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man and brought her to the man.” (Leonard, Mcclure, 88)Eve is not even given her own agency in her creation, it’s as if by her creation she is indebted to the donator of the rib. In today’s society we still spread this message, that to be a good woman you must be obedient and submissive. Women are encouraged to fulfill their husband’s needs as their main objective in marriage, for example, having dinner on the table by 6pm, maintaining a certain physique to please the husband sexually, or in extreme cases, justifies domestic abuse.

Secondly, the explanation of man’s fall from grace relies heavily on the questionable judgement described of women. In the short excerpt in which the snake is deceiving Eve, “When the woman saw the tree was good for food, and that is was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate…” (Leonard, Mcclure, 89) the word choice stands out because it describes female traits of vanity and a lower moral threshold. These descriptions are important because it speaks to how women are viewed in society. It is common among patriarchal myths that women have deceitful, petty or other questionable traits which speaks to men needing control over women, lest they bring on the banishment from the Garden of Eden with their poor choices.

Finally, and most damaging for the female population, is the punishment God delivers to all woman kind because of Eve’s transgression. For daring to seek knowledge that God forbade, women deserve the pain and shame in giving birth and menstruation while still being at the mercy of the husband, as described in this verse, “To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’”(Leonard, Mcclure, 89). God effectively makes giving life a burden that causes pain and is cursed with animosity between parents and children. Today men still find the natural process a woman’s body goes through in contempt and disgust. Currently, there is a tax on feminine hygiene products, a war on reproductive rights and body shame in all directions (breast feeding, hem lines, objectification) facing women and it is in part due to the beliefs passed on through this myth.

To conclude, there are many facets in the Genesis creation story, however it has had overarching negative impacts on civil equalities for women. Between being given as a server to men, descriptions of lower moral character and the ‘shame’ women bare, this myth has been manipulated in arguing women’s roles and rights in society, often as a means of control and domination. The damaging implications of this male-centric creation story has been manipulated to justify the burning of witches and the denial of equal rights, and shaming women for exerting control over their own person which is precisely the reason it is important to examine the effects a myth can have on a population even after hundreds of years. The messages of the Genesis inform people’s attitudes and societies practices in which have had a damning effect on the female collective over the centuries.

Works Cited Leonard, Scott and Micheal Mcclure. Myth & Knowing- An Introduction to Mythology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.