She Unnames Them Analysis

Ursula Le Guin wrote the short story “She Unnames them” from the Bible, in the book of

Genesis Adam names all the animals in the first few chapters. Genesis 2:19-20, God made the animals and had Adam name them. “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam would call every living creature, that was the name thereof. So

Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.” When

Adam falls asleep, God takes one of his ribs and creates a helpmate for Adam or a companion for him. Adam also chooses her name and calls her woman. Even though this is a very short story, it is

We see her go back to Adam and gives back to him what she says is his. He just dismisses her away, so she is not afraid of him like she was in the beginning. The problem is that Eve has given women a bad name. Eve ate the forbidden fruit, knowing it was wrong and then she pushed her husband Adam to do the same. Eve tries to break down the distinction between man and woman or man and animal by unnaming every creature. Names are what make us who we are. Eve is trying to get the attention of her husband, but he does not notice that and still treats her the same way. He believes that the outside so to speak is a man’s place and she is better off in the kitchen or somewhere else that is considered to be a woman’s place.

This story shows a theme of power. Man has always felt superior to woman and Le Guin shows her feminist side. She wrote this in support of the Women’s Rights movement, Le Guin shows that the era of male supremacy must end. Women are capable of being independent, and just as all life is inherently equal, men and women should be equal. While I do not believe in taking the Bible and switching the story around to the way we want it, I do like how Le Guin stands up for what she believed in which is women’s