In the poem and the short story, the major characters are Adam and Eve, and the similarities of their traits and behaviors are evident.
In the poem, Adam is portrayed as domineering and the authority in the Garden of Eden. His domineering character is evident as Eve admits that she was expected to follow Adam wherever he went. In fact, she admits that, her life was about following and obeying her husband. This can be seen in the first stanza when she says that ‘‘where Adam went, I was fairly contented to go. I adapted myself to the punishment: it was my life.’’ Similar traits of being domineering and a sense of authority are seen in the short story “She Unmanes Them” by Le Guin. In the story, God has given Adam power to give names to all animals in the Garden of Eden as he pleases. The authority Adam has in naming the animals is evident since once he gave them names, the accepted with ‘‘perfect indifference with which they had so long accepted and ignored their names.’’ This clearly indicates his decision was final and no one had the authority to challenge the naming process.
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In the poem, Eve is seen as submissive to her husband. She has to agree with all his deed, and she has no choice but to accept that it was her life. Her submissive nature makes her believe that, her opinion does not even count. In the last stanza, she admits that ‘‘But it’s useless to make such a suggestion to Adam. He has turned himself into God, who is faultless and does not exist.’’ This assertion indicates that, Eve has no authority over her husband, as he only submits to God. Adam cannot listen to her, or even fulfill the desires of her heart. In the story, the submissive nature of Eve is seen, as she is placed as a subordinate. Adam is the authority and has even given her a name. In fact, when Eve decides to give back her name, Le Guin writes that he ‘was not paying much attention, as it happened, and said only, ‘put it down over there, OK?’ and he continued with the task he was handling. The statement indicates that in his mind, the man of the house does not pay much attention to his wife. His mind is wired in such a way that, Eve has nothing important to say or question. She is supposed to obey and listen to the husband.
In the two literary works, Adam is described from a patriarchal perspective, a trait commonly associated with men in the society. For instance, in the poem, he is portrayed as the father figure, and one who is in-charge. Actually, Adam expects the wife to be submissive. Despite the fact that he has a flaw, his ego as a man cannot allow him to admit. When things do not seem to work in the garden, his ego cannot allow him to admit. The poet writes ‘‘And clearly he doesn’t exist; but he refuses to accept the conclusion. You see, he was always an egotist.’’ As the man of the house, Adam is expected to provide for his family. As seen in the poem, ‘‘he had to work for our living, and he didn’t like it.’’ From a patriarchal perspective, it is man’s duty to provide for the family, and he is not expected to complain. Adam accepts this role without raising questions. In the same vein, the short story captures Adam’s patriarchal nature. His chauvinistic tendency is evident through his authoritative nature and power he has over Eve. Typical chauvinists consider women as weak characters, and they pay less of little attention to their views and opinions. This is clearly seen when Adam does not even notice when Eve is giving back her name. He cares less. Even when Eve ‘‘put some things away and fiddled around a little…he continued to do what he was doing and to take no notice of anything else.’’ In fact, he believes the woman’s place is in the kitchen, probably the reason he asks her ‘When’s dinner?’’
In view of Eve/Lilith, her representation of matriarchy is seen in the poem and the short story. Expectedly, females are supposed to be submissive to the authority of men. Although Eve is to some extent submissive, her role in the story by Le Guin is expressed in a way that she pursues her place in the society. Biblically, Adam was the man given authority in Eden to name all God’s creation. He is given a companion in the name of Eve. However, as seen in the story, Eve decided to rename all the animals. She is seen questioning decisions made by the husband. Further, she returns her name to Adam unapologetically. Eve’s behavior ascribes to matriarchal tendency of women having authority and say over things. The act of giving back the name shows she does not want anything to do with the husband. She wants freedom and power to make decisions on her own. In the poem, the female trait of being submissive and loyal is seen in Eve, although she questions the character of her husband. She admits that, she has a role of looking after the children, and ‘‘Where Adam went I was fairly contented to go. I adapted myself to punishment: it was my life.’’ However, she questions some of the decisions made by Adam, whom she says ‘‘has turned himself into God.’’ From a matriarch perspective, although she submits to men, she questions their decisions, as seen both in the poem and in the story.
When taken together, the two works represent sharp contrast between Adam and Eve. Firstly, Adam is powerful, reasonable and intelligent character with close relationship with God. God depicts him as a perfect being to name all the animals he created. He names all the animals, only for the wife to change them. In the two literary works, Eve is a companion of Adam, and a subordinate for that matter. Although intelligent, her flaw is seen in the way she questions the decisions made by her husband. For instance, she decides to rename all the animals, all in the name of trying to be equal to the husband. She decides to return the name to Adam, all in a bid to ‘‘make an exception for myself.’’ In the same vein, Adam is powerless and his love for his wife is a weakness in disguise. He does not seem to question her actions. For instance, when she renames all the animals and decides to take back her name, he pays little attention. He goes on with what he was doing. In contrast, Eve does not seem to love the husband. She questions most decisions he made, and ones that even involve God. All the intentions God had, and the responsibilities he gives Adam are questioned by Eve. She admits that, Adam himself has turned into God, and his ego cannot allow him to admit his mistakes.
