Elimination!...Lack of Education // Ian Blair

 I'm going to be in Book X for this post, and as a continuation of my post from last week, let's see how things turned out for Adam shall we? For starters, he fell victim to the very things highlighted previously; though I must say, I could not have anticipated his eagerness to die with Eve so soon and to the deep extent he loved her. After Christ comes to judge man & beast and ascends again into heaven, Adam spends the majority of the book distraught & beside himself about the whole ordeal. I think its also importance to note that this is the first time Adam has probably ever experienced anything close to grief or regret before, so his reaction is kind of expected. Regardless, his emotions caused his downfall, & they continue to be here as well. As expected from someone who is stricken with mass amounts of grief, Adam begins to "vent" to himself, and really has a ton of dialogue to unpack:

"Of Paradise dear bought with lasting woes!

Did I request Thee, Maker, from my clay

To mold me Man? Did I solicit Thee

From darkness to promote me or here place

In this delicious garden? As my will

Concurred not to my being it were but right

And equal to reduce me to my dust,

Desirous to resign and render back

All I received, unable to perform

Thy terms too hard by which I was to hold

The good I sought not." (10.742-752).

Adam has even descended to the level of questioning his own existence, inquiring to an audience of none but himself if he had even ever asked to have been created. This reaction shows that Adam is, to quote Commanding Officer Spock, "emotionally compromised," even to a point of near inconsolability. By questioning his own existence, & likewise, his origins, he calls God's perfect will & plan into question, doubting whether it actually is perfect or not; whether directly or indirectly is another question in itself. Adam's character arc now seems to have finished its final curve, as we have seen him go from curious & innocent to remorseful, sorrowful, & even angry when he first sees Eve approach him after he finishes his lament (10.867). The name of Paradise Lost does not simply refer to the location, for in Adam's & Eve's cases, it also can refer to their purity & lifestyle as well.


I commented on Haylee Lynd's & Lily's posts.

Comments

  1. Emma LandrySeptember 26, 2021 at 4:27 PM

    I agree that Adam seems to be more ruled by his emotions than one would expect, since Milton portrays him as such a paragon of reason previously in the work. Adam shows himself to be more ruled by passion than Eve ever was, especially when he lashes out at her in a fit of rage. I also like your interpretation of how Paradise does not merely signify the Garden of Eden itself, but also something intangible. The perfection the pair once experienced can no longer be felt as the separation from God is not only in miles but in heart and spirit as well.

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    Replies
    1. Emma LandrySeptember 26, 2021 at 4:29 PM

      To add to my first comment, when we turn away from God today, we also experience that same lack of peace and security than when we seek Him and draw closer to Him. -Emma Landry

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  2. Abigale BellSeptember 27, 2021 at 12:37 PM

    Hi Ian! Great post! Something to keep in mind when we consider Adam's reaction here is that this dialogue is taking place post-fall. Sin has entered the world and marred the perfection of Eden. Adam's eyes have been opened to questions that didn't need to be answered before, when Adam and Eve were in close relationship with God. Through faith they lived and trusted God. There was no need to ask why.

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  3. Song WhittingtonSeptember 27, 2021 at 10:54 PM

    Reading your blogs are always an insightful and enjoyable time. I love the thought that "Paradise" isn't just the garden, but also things that can't quite be touched: innocence, purity, security, etc. I also appreciate the use of the term "vent" to describe Adam's lengthy lament.

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