Abasement and Eve: The Influence of the Bible on Female Other-ness

In an excerpt from Simone De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, she discusses the woman as the "Other" in society. She claims that women have been oppressed throughout history, so that even "the most mediocre of males feels himself a demigod as compared with women…” She suggests that this oppression stems from the biblical creation story of Adam and Eve. In another class at Colgate (JWST 208), we discussed that the bible is perhaps the most influential book that has ever graced human society. This class had a strong emphasis on the connection between the bible and the public realm, and it concentrated on how scripture can act to positively or negatively mold societal beliefs. More importantly, through this class I learned that these biblical-related societal views are often misconstrued, since scripture is often contradictory in nature.

In fact, there are two different literary interpretations that can be gleaned from Adam and Eve’s account within Genesis: the Yahwist and the Priestly versions of scripture. The Yahwist translation is demonstrated in Genesis 2 and states that man, or Adam, was created in God’s image, followed by Eve, who was sprung of the rib of Adam. It is tempting to read this version of creation as one with Eve being an afterthought of God, making her subordinate to Adam. Conversely, the Priestly version of Genesis, or Genesis 1, clearly states, “male and female he created them,” suggesting that men and women were created simultaneously, and are thus of equal status.

Throughout history, because of the Yahwist creation account, women have often been marked as inferior to men. De Beauvoir reiterates that many members of society solely focus on this version of Genesis, and thus further assume that man has a higher societal rank than women. Lastly, she suggests that this societal view is enhanced since women are also blamed for original sin from for eating from the tree of knowledge.

One example of how this version of the text has been depicted within our society is through art. Michelangelo clearly used the Yahwist creation story in his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling since there is no woman in his piece. Thus, even though this work is revered in our society, it does not portray the entire biblical creation text. Because of this disconnect from the Priestly version of scripture, Michelangelo’s interpretation of the creation story has some major implications for modern society. Whether it was his intention or not, Michelangelo’s powerful image of man descending directly from the touch of God sends the message that men are the most dominant beings within society. Viewers come from all over the world to look at the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, leaving awestricken and speechless, myself included. Thus, it is almost impossible to be unaffected by art, even when this effect becomes dangerous for certain minority groups. While Michelangelo’s masterpiece is a profound work, it can also be viewed as an incomplete reading of the bible. Therefore, I think that it is extremely important to educate the public on the discrepancies within these two Genesis texts in order for students to understand the full background behind the unfair subordination of women, therefore allowing for re-examination of female inferiority in society.