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Honors Theses

Andrews University

2009

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Eve In The Image Of Man: Feminist Concerns In Paradise Lost, Katharine Van Arsdale Apr 2009

Eve In The Image Of Man: Feminist Concerns In Paradise Lost, Katharine Van Arsdale

Honors Theses

John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost (1667) follows the story of creation, the transformation of Lucifer to Satan, and the eventual fall of humanity. Traditional readings of this poem that focus on Milton’s portrayals of Adam and Eve purport that the text presents an unflinchlingly misogynistic view of women. In Paradise Lost there is a definite gender hierarchy at work. This hierarchy is constructed by certain binaries that separate the world of the male from that of the female. Examples of these binaries are rampant throughout the text; men use reason, women do not. Men are strong and women are …