If I were a Man ~Ashlyn Scism

 Milton was sexist. I know people are going to disagree with me but hear me out. Milton was alive in the 1600s which was well before any feminist movements had even started. Socially and economically women were still regarded as property. Women of the time were often not educated and their role was solely that of a housewife. They were supposed to embody the virtues of innocence and morality. If a woman did speak out against any of these issues she would be exiled from the community and possibly even worse. I bring all of this up to show that it was entirely plausible and extremely likely for Milton to be sexist. It would have been not only normal but expected of him. 

The reason I decided to do my blog post on this is that it is fascinating to see how cultural views can impact literature. Milton is no different, his sexism is evident throughout all of Paradise Lost. In a previous blog post, I wrote about Sin the character, and how she is an excellent example of how men view temptation and lust as a feminine entity. When men personify their lust as a temptress they are casting their blame on the women. I clarified that women are not without sin but they are blamed for sin that is not their own. I compared it to Adam and Eve’s dynamic from Genesis. In the Bible, Adam blames Eve for his sin, which would be a foreshadowing of how men would treat women for the rest of history. When I wrote that post I had not yet read about Milton’s Adam and Eve. After reading Milton’s version I am even more convinced of his prejudice. 

From the first time Eve is introduced in Paradise Lost she is described as inferior to Adam. Milton writes that Eve was made beautiful and perfect on the outside but she is underdeveloped on the inside. From the beginning, Eve is less than Adam. She is more passionate and has more of a platonic appetite. She has less reason than Adam and does not care to engage in more logical discussions. She is written not to be imperfect but as if women were made to be less perfect than men. Following Milton’s logic, the fall makes sense because Eve was practically fallen already. Not to say that Adam had zero responsibility for Eve’s actions but that she was delicate enough to need constant supervision. 

Paradise Lost reveals how Milton views women, men, sin, and Satan. Adam and Eve were the ultimate examples of men and women and the way Milton writes them he believes that this is how men and women act. Men are meant to be strong and women are meant to be pretty. Men are responsible for taking care of women because women are too fragile to look after themselves. Men have reason and women desire reason only through the lens of passion. No matter your views of the role of women and men, Milton was sexist.

I commented on Lilly and Andrew’s posts.