The Role of Gender in Metamorphoses and the Book of Genesis

The relationships between men and women vary in literature. While generally men dominate women, events that take place can cause the roles to reverse. Ancient stories such as Metamorphoses and the book of Genesis show the relationships and roles men and women play can differ depending on the situation. When comparing the stories to situations taking place today, one can see the relationships between men and women have generally stayed the same.

The role of man as the dominating sex goes back as far as the creation. However, the relationship between Adam and Eve did not begin this way. The roles between them shift due to the situation. After God creates Eve from Adam's rib, Adam sees Eve as a part of him. Eve comes into the world as Adam's equal. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Lawall 58). The roles do not change until Eve eats from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and convinces Adam to do the same. God then places Adam over Eve. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Lawall 59).

God placed Eve in this role due to her choice to do what was wrong. Up until this point, things were going as God planned. Adam and Eve shared everything in the garden and followed God's rules. The change occurs when Eve chooses her wants over the rules God has set. Her decision caused distrust to form between man and God.