Role of Gender in the Book of Genesis and Theogony.

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The roles that men and women play tend to differ in different works of literature. The roles depend on the culture and the context of a particular work of literature, and even the time the work of literature was written. For instance the roles of gender will differ from African culture to American culture, as well as from ancient America and Modern America. Old stories such as the Book of Genesis and Theogony portray different roles men and men play. Most of these roles are similar in both books, and a few are different.

From the Book of Genesis we can observe the male role of domination. In this book a man was created before a woman and was given domination over all creations upon the earth. God said, “Let us make a man in our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepth upon the earth.” (Gen. 1:26). The book of Genesis explains that those who are born firs have important rights. For instance Jacob asks his elder brother Esau to sell his (Esau’s) birthright to him (Jacob) (Gen. 25: 33-34). Therefore, Adam (male) being created first, gives him more rights than Eve (female).

The male role of domination is also shown in Theogony where Zeus is the highest and greatest of all the goddesses and gods in power (Heseiod, pg 4). And throughout the text male gods were portrayed as more important than the goddesses (Hesiod, pg 7). The goddesses would even sing to praise male gods. The text explains the Muses (Goddesses) sang of the august family of gods, of Zeus, and of family of men and giants (Hesiod, pg 4).

The Book of Genesis also shows that males have more authority than females. As God had author...

... middle of paper ...

...shment to men (pg 21), which still portrays a female as an inferior being. This is also a sign of female submissive nature and male powerful nature.

Female is portrayed as being easily deceived. This can be observed from the Book of Genesis. Eve tend to believe in lies without knowing that they are being deceived even though she was warned before. She falls for the serpent’s lie although God had warned them (Adam and Eve) before. However, Eve convinces Adam to also eat from the forbidden tree (Gen. 3:1-4). On the other hand Hesiod shows how males are not easily deceived when Zeus recognizes the lie that was set to him (Hesiod, pg 19)

The roles shown in the Book of Genesis and Theogony portray a female as an inferior being, while a male represents a superior being. This can be mostly observed in the cultures of developing countries and some religious societies.

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