Milton's construction of Eve in Paradise Lost is fraught with uncertain ambiguities, with her identity defined and redefined within it. The text was constructed during the Restoration, against the backdrop of libertine culture and the increasingly active social role of women. Women's identities were redefined in terms of virtue and use value, while their autonomy was questioned. Milton's portrayal of Eve has been touted as both anti- and proto-feminism, often derived from her interactions with Adam and, later, Satan. Questions about her autonomy as a "reasoning" self constantly under the "gaze" in a masculine ethic are addressed in the epic, with the ambiguities highlighted in Book 9. Milton's Eve is very different from her biblical counterpart, for here, his character is given a lot of visual and discursive space, focusing on his evolving sexuality and the resulting effects. This essay will attempt to outline Eva's interaction with existing male power structures, actively engaging with notions of 'Choice', 'Responsibility' and 'Control'. Furthermore, it will try to understand the evolving ambiguities from within and analyze whether Eva's becoming a woman is overtly a proto-feminist representation or not. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Any claims of misogyny or proto-feminism in Paradise Lost must be analyzed in the context of the historical context of the text. Seeking to justify God's ways to men, Milton poses numerous religious and social constructs for scrutiny as he charts the various changes that occur. The Restoration was embedded in the exchange economy, and its essential components, sex and sexuality, acquired new meanings as historical constructs. Situated in the midst of libertine popular culture, ideals of love, desire, virtue and, most importantly, the image of women was being reshaped, with the redefinition of her sexuality and consequent autonomy. A wavering ambiguity reigned over the question of ownership of a woman's body, whether she was a virgin or a prostitute. Power structures within Restoration society were gradually changing due to the highly influential commercial economy and the transformed "look". It has also been argued that this period saw increased repression against sexuality, against the backdrop of the rise of capitalism and the resulting incitement to discourse around it. At this juncture was Milton, writing a religious epic, but absorbing and being influenced by dominant cultural forces. We need to determine what a proto-feminist attitude would entail in this period; whether this would simply mean attacking patriarchy and capitalism, conforming to patriarchal structures or redefining the position of women within it, aiming for a balanced, if not equal, position. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether inciting discourse that recognizes women's subservient position and enormous spatial allocation is itself proto-feminist. To examine Milton's construction of Eve, this essay will attempt to postulate the two contradictory constructions, before and after the dream, and the connections that exist between them. The first step towards such an analysis would be to look at the power structures that existed between Adam and Eve, identified in Book 4. In between conversations, Adam reminds Eve of the oath she made to God, never to go near the Tree of Knowledge or never to approach the Tree of Knowledge. eating its fruit. In exchange, they were given power overall other living things and a vast domain to rule over. Eve passively submits, placing Adam as her guide and head, from whose flesh she was created. Whatever Adam says is right and just as he is the figure of God to her. She seems to prefer active ignorance and blind faith rather than questioning commands, as she herself admits. However, how much humility, if it can be called that and passive submission does not ring true with Eve's character later in the text. Eve's submission to Adam's supreme authority is called into question fairly early on by the incident concerning her reflection. Many inferences have been drawn from this incident, the reflection being a metaphor for how women's identities exist. At first Eve does not recognize herself, having never seen her reflection even once, and believes the voice that says it is her reflection, an image of Adam. This can be read as the male ethic defining the woman's body and her existence, as the Restoration exuberantly did. The image of Eve is drawn from the image of Adam, however different they may seem. However, it is more important to observe the way he analyzes the image of Adam when he sees him and then returns to that smooth and watery image, the image of the “self”. Eva, disillusioned by the illusion created by the masculine, returns to look, analyze and reason with her reflection. This analytical attitude, which is evident throughout the epic, contradicts his previous seemingly submissive behavior. Milton's description of Eve through Adam is measured. The gaze is precise, he looks at the woman objectively and possessively, adopting her body. Adam with his love for Eve looks at her beauty and submissive charm, while she meekly surrenders to him. The constant rhetoric that Adam was created in the image of God and Eve in the image of Adam only solidifies the visual structure of the epic and how the power structures operate and the chain of communication is established. Any instruction from God is first linked to Adam in isolation and then Eve receives the masculinized version of it. The consolidation of structures and tracing of Eve's identity continues with the recitation of her dream and then with Adam's response. After spending a restless night, Eve recounts her dream to Adam, vividly describing the events as they occurred. Adam's response, while seemingly comforting, is of consequence, as he places Eve on a pedestal, appropriating virtues from her. For Adam, since woman comes from the rib and flesh of man, nothing evil can be present in her. Furthermore, a pure woman who detests the act almost committed in her dream would never dream of living her dream. This stereotype of women was quite popular during the Restoration, when women were called "virgins" or "whores". Putting women on a pedestal, as the "angel of the house", risks erasing any present autonomy. Having been forcibly pushed into an airtight compartment, she cannot do anything outside of defined parameters and is therefore rendered defenseless. As Adam believes, Eve will not do the act she hated in the dream. The possibility that she evaluates her dream and carries it out with Reason does not exist, as she prefers to think. Eve's character construction is further exposed in Book 8 in Adam's conversations with Raphael. It contains a narrative about the creation of man and Adam's relationship with Eve, along with contrasting discourses on the nature of love. The conversations are often advertised as misogynistic for their intense stereotyping and derision of women, particularly Raphael's speeches. But Adam's defense of his passionate love with Eve redeemsthe text slightly, since it postulates an opinion partially contradictory to that of Raphael. Publishing his account of his creation and subsequent conversations with God, Adam talks about how Eve was created. As a major deviation from the Bible, Adam asks for Eve, having observed other lower beasts living with their consorts. Adam's request is particularly notable for its proto-feminist overtones, which Mary Wollstonecraft cites in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. As for her and many others, Adam's protest to his Creator was an indication of the gender contradictions present in the epic. In his argument, Adam seeks another human being of equal stature and eligible to participate in all rational pleasure, since harmony cannot be generated in a society among unequals. He cannot live forever conversing with his inferiors; since they live with each of their kind, it also needs a consort. His consort must be like him, like his multiplied image, which also implies an equal position. Neither here nor throughout the book before the Fall or Genesis was any hierarchy presented between Adam and Eve. Although created at different intervals, both are supposed to share the responsibility of ruling the world and its lower creation. Milton's description of Eve here and later in the epic through Adam is loving, though measured. Furthermore, their relationship in terms of pre-lapsarian sexuality is quite ambiguous, which begins the discussion between Raphael and Adam about love. In Book 8, pre-lapsarian sexuality is considered attractive but also made problematic. As Adam admits, the experience of making love to Eva revealed new qualities in her. She is beautiful, intelligent and complete, and therefore worthy of being his consort. But this statement is contradicted by his very misogynistic claim that women have been perfectly beautified on the outside by nature, but left imperfect on the inside. This creates the arena for a lively debate about Eve and passionate love, which also highlights the misogynistic diatribes trapped in the discourses. Furthermore, Adam's responses to Raphael's arguments help to construct Eve's identity more clearly. Adam, in the throes of love, discovers that Eve is intellectually equal and dignified, but realizes that her beauty weakens him. He wonders if God deliberately weakened him by taking out that rib to fashion Eve. But more importantly, Adam describes his passion for her and praises her radiance. This does not find favor with Raphael, who admonishes Adam for his blind existence. Why Adam should control his passions and not be influenced by them. He had to rein in his wife and not let her abandon him, because if Adam doesn't fire her, she won't leave. This statement presupposes masculinist supremacy, which is demolished in book 9. He even states that the value placed on Eve by Adam is ephemeral and that she was not worth it. Furthermore, Raphael reminds Adam that the purpose of love was not mere carnal pleasure, but some other transcendental purpose. Adam could admire Eve, who lay enchanted in the throes of carnal pleasure, but he had to rein in his self-esteem and be rational. His desire for such carnal satisfaction could have been with any beast, but his union with Eve was to serve a purpose greater than material matters. However, Adam is only half embarrassed by Raphael's disapproval and defends his position on passionate love. Because this had allowed him to enjoy Eva's company, mixed with love and sweet condescension since she had declared the sincere union of mind and soul. Paradoxically, this is precisely what theinvoluntary submission of woman to man. Afterwards, Raphael leaves, asking Adam to be careful that his passion does not influence his judgment. He had been informed of the Enemy and the imminent danger, now it was up to him to decide. If Adam were to let passion influence his Reason, he could transgress and thus break his oath to God. What Book 8 allows us to do is understand the ambiguities in Adam's creation of Eve and how material almost becomes. its construction. The construction of Eve in the previous books culminates in Book 9, the main focus of this essay. Eva wants to work alone, to save time and work more. He then presents this idea to Adam, expressed in "rational" speech. It is to be speculated whether her desire is to remain alone for some time, entertained by her own thoughts and herself. But more importantly, her reasoning includes a gender distinction between nature and work, where winding the honeysuckle is for Adam while Eve spends her time amidst the spring of roses. It's striking that Eve affirms the gender boundaries she will soon break. Furthermore, Eve wishes Adam must do his own work, without being obsessed with Eve and her casual chatter while he works. Curiously, this is what perhaps Raphael had also asked of Adam, to work with Reason rather than succumb to passion. Adam's mild response is possessive, insisting on the domestic stereotype and trying to keep Eve in check. For him, a woman who studies household items is an efficient domestic woman. However, Adam and Eve were not created for drudgery, but to enjoy life. Using reason was essential to enjoying life and therefore their actions were reasoned. Additionally, Adam makes it clear that Eve might suffer some harm if she were separated from him. He fears that the enemy may attack, so he asks her not to leave his side, as he protects and protects her. The wife remains safe if she stays with her husband because he will protect her or bear the worst with her. This has serious implications for the rest of the epic as it nails the couple's forced union. Whether it is pleasure or pain, both should experience it, but with the supreme position of the husband as the incarnate protector. However, Eve is uncomfortable with Adam's arguments and his doubts about her intentions to go alone. Being aware of the Enemy, having overheard the conversations between Raphael and Adam, clouds his fears as they cannot be physically harmed. It was painful for Adam to suspect his firm faith in God and his love for him. But for Adam fear is something else, or so it seems. He wishes to avoid any attempt by the Enemy. Because the Enemy would not dare to attack both of them together, but could attack Eve alone. Eve is not troubled and denounces Adam's fears as naive and unreasonable. He does not want to live in fear of the Enemy; their faith in God and their love for each other will have to survive both the test of time and the attack of the enemy. Furthermore, any insecurity was assumed to threaten to derail their relationship, which Eva did not want. At this point, Adam advocates suspending Reason and blindly following God's instructions. Reason can mislead and lead to a dangerous undertaking, which must be avoided at all costs. Interestingly, Adam, who previously admired Reason in Eve, is perhaps displeased with it as it is against his position. He once again reaffirms his role as an incarnate protector, wanting Eve to remain with him, thanks to whom he can fight temptation. But in the end, he allows her to leave, but emphasizes the free will given to her by God, which gives her theresponsibility for his own actions. Now it was time for Eva to prove her loyalty, with her actions when she is alone. Eva then leaves, but with Adam's permission as she herself admits. One wonders whether this is a discursive submission to authority, forced by macho structures, or an affirmation, which seeks to evade responsibility for the future fall by referring to Adam as if he had given permission. This may be related to Raphael's comment about how Eve will not abandon him unless he dismisses her. Although it is Eve's arguments that barely convince Adam to let her go, it seems that responsibility is once again thrust into Adam's court. Eva thus leaves, withdrawing her hand from her husband's and leaving alone. Apparently, his reasoning won out over Adam's passionate conviction. As he leaves, the "gaze" returns, with Adam and Satan as agents. For Adam, he just wanted her to stay or, at least, come back soon, but Satan's gaze is calculating, and almost lustful. This is the archetypal Restoration male gaze, which makes the woman's body the position of an object in the exchange economy. Even during temptation, Satan refers to the way he looks at her with reverence, which is the main characteristic of the commodity market. His visual analysis is nothing more than the sensual and measured gaze of a trader, perhaps, setting the tone for the fraudulent temptation to get started. Eve's temptation by Satan, disguised as a serpent, occurs on a similar level, as a conflict within the dialectic of power. Satan's approach in the form of a serpent is itself a cunning move since it removes from Eve's mind any fear of insecurity, for those who would fear an inferior being. Furthermore, Satan appeals to her sense of reason, fueling her pride and discursively deceiving her. She, who was beautiful, was not to be admired only by a man, but venerated as a goddess among the gods, adored and served by a host of angels. Recounting her experience, Satan invites her to use reason, since she should aspire to become a deity. This verbal conflict which lasts about 200 lines is between equals, both Eve and Satan claiming Reason as the basis for their arguments. While Eve professes that "our reason is our law" and therefore they could not eat from the Tree, Satan mocks her hypocritical position, since, according to Reason, they should question the vague commandment issued. Eve falls in love not only with the promised divine existence, but also with Satan's reasoned arguments and, perhaps, the desire for the companionship of an intellectually competent being. In fact, throughout Book 9, Adam behaved like a moron, while Eve rationally argued for her right to go out on her own. Eve falls while eating the fruit, overwhelmed by Satan's reasoned speech. Immediately after the fall he reflects on the next step, believing he has gained knowledge and experience, but the question of Adam remains. The questions of Adam, still unfallen, should have been answered without question. Eve toys with the idea of ​​keeping with her the probabilities of knowledge in her power. Doing so would ensure that she becomes equal to Adam in position or perhaps superior to him. At this juncture Eva brazenly expresses her desire for superiority, of those who are free as inferior beings. It is a desire to redefine identities and reverse roles in the existing power structure, as well as to dispel stereotypes of women in categories. Eva, although fallen, aspires to a better existence even if a bleak future awaits her. She is calculating her moves here, if the fruit generates happiness, she might share it with Adam, although the possibility is remote..