Test Motif in the Biblical Story of Adam and Eve - Essay Example

Adam and Eve Test Motif in the Biblical Story of Adam and Eve The story of Adam and Eve, the first man and women or ‘protoplast’ on earth holds a great connotation in the realm of theology. Also it has a poignant place in the canon of Biblical stories. The book ‘Genesis 2’ opens with an event where the God is fashioning a man from the dust and sand and blowing air into his nostrils. Thus, the first man on earth is created and the great story of evolution begins on the paradigm of theology.

Adam and Eve evidently pass through a test that is framed on the paradigm of temptation. God actually tried to test the capacity of self-control and self-restrain operating within man. This is the reason he frames the “forbidden fruit or the fruit of the knowledge and good and evil” and the serpent act as a provocation motif for the first man and the woman. Falling a prey on the hands of the provocation brought by the serpent, the first man, Adam and the first woman, Eve taste the forbidden fruit which apparently might seem a bad choice cause they were already aware about the punishment which could be entitled upon them for going against the will of God.

Yet they choose it, which proves that the seed of inquisitive instinct is primitive among men and for that they can even undergo fret and pain. Initially the characters fail to pass the test as they already lose their Garden of Eden and get ready for facing the pain, cruelty and all other complexities of life but the event at a greater realm, hints that the fallen couple of Adam and Eve are ultimate winners because they are the real fighters who survive the struggle for the rest of their life.

Contribution of Plot Character and Setting in the Overall Artistry of the Narrative The story of Adam and Eve starts in Genesis 2 and the plot of the story build within the compass of Genesis 3, 4 and 5. The fashioning of the first man Adam and the creation of first woman from the rib of Adam takes place in the Garden of Eden. The plot of the story also indicates that during the time when Adam was created, other creatures were already existent yet Adam’s dissatisfaction in the failure of compatibility with those creatures resulted in the creation of the first woman and his companion, Eve.

These minute details of the setting helped a lot in the plot development. Also the aesthetic beauty of the Garden of Eden placed the story of Adam and Eve above the realm of a mere Biblical event and placed it into the paradigm of a narrative crafted with the artistry of language and in-depth sense of human psyche. Insight into the Human Condition through the Story The story of Adam and Eve are crafted on the basis of human psychology. There are myriad intricate and subtle occurrences of human instinct encapsulated within this particular story.

The poignant instinct upon which the story focuses is the inquisitive nature of human being and his quest for knowledge. It is his desire to explore the unexplored and see the unseen that made him the most advanced species on earth. To achieve it, he has always undergone pain but his fortitude and determination has been the burning passion which always kindled the fire within him. The story of Adam and eve upholds many negative aspects of human insight like lust and greed yet on an optimistic note; his everlasting quest for knowledge is the insight which would appeal any of its readers.

Bibliography Bostrom, K. L. The Snake in the Grass: The Story of Adam and Eve. Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.