Reflection

Like many of my peers, I also (relatively) enjoyed writing this paper because I'd come to love my self-chosen topic over the course of the semester. We had ample opportunity to reach out-I used blogs, traditional articles and interviewed with a Milton professor, Dr. Kim Johnson, on campus. 

Typically, my papers are a less than three day process-outline, then write. I wrote my first paper on the female pursuit of knowledge in Milton's works. I did much research, several blog posts and discussed the idea in my Transatlantic Literature/Women's Studies class. Dr. Siegfried and Dr. Johnson helped me formulate a narrower scope-Milton's portrayal of Eve as evidence of his "Feminism". Overall, I am very happy with my paper. 

I was surprised to hear back from the conference I submitted my paper to-no acceptance/denial yet-but still, it was more exciting than I thought it would be. For me, I have learned not to be so afraid of reaching out to others. People have a lot to say and experts love to be asked about their topics of expertise, so why not glean from their wisdom? In talking with my Transatlantic Lit class, several Milton classmates and multiple professors, I definitely put more effort into understanding my subject than I really have ever done for a paper. It's something I will try to do in the future. 

Venue Submission

I emailed a proposal and attached my paper to Dr. Corns with the British Milton Seminar. I doubt I'd be able to attend but it was a neat experience to actually submit a paper to a conference!

I also submitted my paper to the BYU Scholars Archive.

John Milton as a Proto-Feminist Through the Heroization of Eve

Here's the link to my paper! https://docs.google.com/document/d/14L-lGfqynSR8vXS8hazW1OxcdMna4aLoKs4TL-JKQwQ/edit?usp=sharing

Sorry if the formatting is funny-I pasted from my Word document. I kind of changed my focus/thesis yesterday after talking with Dr. Johnson.

Is Milton a Closet Feminist?

In my first paper, I primarily focused on the way Milton glorifies Eve through her independent quest for knowledge. For the larger scope of this research paper, I am going to explore feminism in a variety of Milton's works and his personal experiences. I was tempted to study out Milton's progressiveness: feminism, access to information, divorce...etc but I think it would be somewhat disjointed. Instead, my working thesis currently is: Feminists have largely touted Milton's portrayal of Eve as submissive and demeaning, yet in analysis of Milton's works as a whole and his own life, I would argue he exhibits clear traits of feminism including a high standard and desire for intellectualism, as well as equality as individuals and within relationships, thus classifying him as a progressive thinker and feminist.

I was surprised to find so much research done on the topic of Milton and Feminism. It seems that many people have wondered whether Milton identified himself as a feminist (or misogynist or sexist or anything at all, really). My goal is to make a claim  that is unique and enlightening, so I may tweak my thesis as I read more on the issue.

I was delighted to find Anne Ferry's "Milton's Creation of Eve" available online through the library's website. Although Ferry agrees Milton is not objectifying Eve, she does see distinct differences between Adam and Eve and their interactions with each other. My concern with this is that many feminists base their argument on the fact that men and women are equal in that they are not biologically suited for certain roles. .

Kat Sanger's article "Milton: Misogynist, Feminist or Sexist?" studies the different identities Milton could claim and how he could do it. It's a short article, but it has lots of great resources.

This article by Arpi Paylan is the type of essay that I would have originally wanted to write-with allusions to the Divorce Tracts and  Paradise Lost. So now I am going to draw what I can from this article to make an innovative argument!

Females For The Pursuit of Knowledge

Click Here to view my essay on Eve as a heroic female figure in Milton's Paradise Lost. She is a character who embodies his personal championing theme of attaining knowledge and is one who is strongly considered by society to be submissive and susceptible, representative of women's oppression and deference to men over the course of human history. Yet, through my essay, I claim that Eve represents the ultimate goal of humans, especially Milton, of intellectual progression and growth.

Pre-Writing

I still need to narrow my ideas down, but here's what I have so far! Personally, I think I'm intrigued most by option 2. 

1.Feminists have largely accused Milton of being one of the first major authors to portray Eve as a submissive and susceptible woman, lending credence to centuries of oppressions; yet, I believe Milton supports Eve by detailing her quest for knowledge, a theme personally relevant to Milton, and ultimately enables Eve with power and wisdom through her choice to sacrifice all for the pursuit of knowledge.

• Milton's Divorce Tracts also encourage well-matched couples, who are intellectually suitable
• Milton stresses the importance of knowledge across all his works, but especially in Areopagitica, so it draws attention to the fact that EVE is the one who seeks more knowledge by eating the fruit
• Feminists widely clamor to blame Eve, but why not consider the opposite viewpoint? Milton himself sought a wife to challenge and love him, and perhaps Eve represents that mystifying woman he's always sought after

 2. In Areopagitiica Milton expresses his displeasure at the censorship of literature by the government. Paraidse Lost also presents the issue of knowing too much versus too little and the consequences of trying to attain more information. Milton's feelings are now paralleled across time as the battle of digital licensing and security surveillance is being waged between the average citizen and government powers.

• Restricted knowledge in Paradise Lost leads to sin and downfall because of the desire to know more
• Censorship, as mentioned in Areopagitica, limits human growth and like Paradise Lost can only invite danger
• Current society has a wealth of knowledge at hand and can access any information instantaneously. the government is threatened by it and so it monitors usage, or tries to find legal ways to limit access. 

 

Eve, continued...

I've been fascinated by Milton's portrayal of Eve and have been looking for article pertaining to Eve's impact on the identity of women. Thus far, I have had little success. However, tonight I searched for "Milton and Eve," and I was astounded by the amplitude of material I found! In one article, it basically said Eve is the most important character in Paradise Lost, aside from Satan. I've compiled some quotes of why people incriminate Eve, and eventually I hope to post why it is inaccurate or for what purpose Milton wrote Eve as he did.

From a Feminist point of view (click me!)

"To start with, Milton was a man of his time, the Early Modern Period. His purpose is to ‘justify the ways of God to men;’ women don’t enter into it" (Wayment).

I find this thought curious, as I didn't even think of that when rereading and memorizing the beginning lines of Paradise Lost. "Justify the ways of God to men"-I doubt that Milton wrote that line to purposely exclude men, but it is an interesting idea. 

"In Milton’s complex theology, both men and women bear guilt for the Fall—but woman’s guilt is greater, not only because she sinned first, but because she uses her female wiles to get man to sin as well. Man’s sin is less than woman’s because she ate the apple for power and greed, while he ate for love of her" (Wayment).

This seems particularly vindictive of Eve, yet I can see how readers would compare the "level" of sin and the motives behind the sinning. I do think Milton portrays Eve as questioning, submissive and discontent in the beginning...far more than Adam, to be sure. 

From a Historical perspective (Pick me!)

"Eve represents everything about a woman a man should guard against. In both form and symbol, Eve is woman, and because of her, the prevalent belief in the West has been that all women are by nature disobedient, guileless, weak-willed, prone to temptation and evil, disloyal, untrustworthy, deceitful, seductive, and motivated in their thoughts and behaviour purely by self-interest" (Witcombe).

Witcombe uses many historical references to show that people have used Eve as a universal example for women and sinners.

"In the West, the story of Eve has served over the centuries as the principal document in support of measures and laws to curtail and limit the actions, rights, and status of women" (Witcombe).

How shocking is this? The misinterpretation of the Biblical story has constituted as evidence to prevent women from gaining certain rights. I could see how Milton's portrayal would support these actions, but using Genesis in rather different. 

"The argument that the order of creation, in which Adam was created first and Eve second, indicates hierarchy and therefore Adam's superiority ignores the fact that animals were created before Adam. As Adam is superior to the animals, then the hierarchy of creation should be reversed, and Eve seen as God's ultimate creation" (Witcombe).

I think this idea is rather touching, but contrary to the claims of those accusing Eve of sin and submission. 

As we get farther into Milton's work, we will find more evidence to support the misguided identity of women due to the portrayal of Eve. Are these claims justified? How do we see them in society? Do all of women's injustices go back to Eve?

Eve, the Mother of All

It is interesting reading Paradise Lost because I have to constantly remind myself that Milton and I do not share the same beliefs. He paints an image so vivid and at times, similar, to what I imagine that when we have conflicting views, I have to remind myself that he is just a man who wrote this book hundreds of years ago for himself. For example, I cannot quite reconcile myself with his portrayal of Eve, the mother of humanity.

Book IV exemplified some ways in which Eve acts "deferential" to Adam and recognizes her own secondary behavior. She is aware when Adam has to transmit everything he hears from God and Gabriel to her. Milton also characterizes her with beauty and golden curls and love. Eve also spends much time staring at herself in the stream, admiring herself-very much reminiscent of Narcissus. It is only when Satan sets upon her that she begins to question her role. How does Milton's interpretation of Eve add dimension to Paradise Lost and even shift the focus from Satan?

Currently I am in a class that explores Transatlantic Literature from a Feminist perspective. Sex relates to biology, whereas gender relates to roles and characteristics of said sex. We have not talked about Eve from a feminist view, but I think we all know that Eve is brought up whenever gender roles are discussed.  In fact many people, even whole religions, blame Eve for the Fall. As a result, women are thought of as vain, fickle and debtors. Is the story of the Fall the reason why women were treated as second-class citizens in many societies until the nineteenth and twenties centuries? American men were voting in colonial times, African-American men could vote in 1870 and women were finally allowed to vote in 1920. Do delays of rights like these reflect Eve's behavior in the Garden on Eden and are a subliminal punishment of sorts for women?

Cynthia Scott argues on this website that the Fall was a result of Eve's quest for identity. Scott argues that Eve's desire for identity is akin to Satan's rebellion against God. She says it so well here: "In other words, when Adam is convinced by Eve to choose his own desires over obeying God's word, he is making the same false choice as Eve. By believing that Eve's place in his relationship with him is greater than God's, Adam thus validates Eve's identity as separate from his own and God's. Eve's desire for identity is the catalyst for her fall from grace, which establishes Milton's representation of her not as self-definition but as vanity, a far greater sin than Adam's loss of identity in relationship to God". Personally, I have always thought Paradise Lost was mostly about Satan, but what Scott implies is that Eve trying to distinguish herself from Adam's helpmeet and as her own individual, which eventually leads to the Fall is a far greater sin than Adam losing his Godly connection. 

The subject of Eve and her actions will probably impact us further on in the book, but for now, these are some of the thoughts I have regarding Eve. Scott introduced a new perspective to me and I look forward to reading Paradise Lost with an attuned eye to Eve. 

Paradise Lost Office App

As I explored the internet for Milton-related topics, I thought to check out Twitter and the #JohnMilton and #ParadiseLost hashtags. I was surprised to see rather pithy quotes from Milton in random tweets. One tweet that piqued my interest was a link explaining the significance of Milton changing Paradise Lost from ten books to twelve books after publication. Immediately, I jumped on that intriguing idea! However, after perusing Google, I did not find a satisfactory, essay-worthy answer, although I will be on the look-out. Nevertheless, those hashtags did lead me to this website.

Yes, a Paradise Lost Office App for smartphones! Jason Braun, a poet, musician and professor at SIU, designed the app in an effort to educate others about Paradise Lost and give it a "more modern and practical context". His intent was to create an app like a deck of flashcards, easily read and easily applied to one's life. After downloading it myself, I think it is a little strange to have the prompts at the bottom of each screen, but it is a neat selection of quotes. It is also free and contains the entire work of Paradise Lost within the app. The comments are meant to connect Milton to modern society, but sometimes appear as trivial or crude. For instance, regarding the description of Eve in Book 4, lines 304-308, the app responds, "Have you met the boss' daughter yet?" I don't think Milton would want his masterpiece to be reduced to that, even if it does show the temptation of what one can't have.

In the article Braun says, "That quote from Milton can be shared via text message, and email at this time. You can flip through to other “flash cards” with other quotes, or click to go to read the full text of Paradise Lost as well. But most of all, this app is about presenting a modern and practical context for Paradise Lost, and serving it up in smaller bites. Paradise Lost in the Office is about pretending to pay attention to the PowerPoint presentation, but really indulging in classic literature while asking yourself “What Would Satan Do?”" Braun's idea is comprehensive enough, yet I do not understand this tagline which he includes in the article and the app's introduction..."What Would Satan Do?" Personally, Paradise Lost is not about Satan's mischief, but rather a unique interpretation of the Fall, including Satan's perspective. 

The concept of introducing the world to Paradise Lost and John Milton through an app is a great idea, but I believe Braun may have focused too much on Satan's roles and lines. Braun quotes General Electric's CEO Jack Welsh as saying, "Be number one or number two in every market, and fix, sell or close to get there." As a lover and reader of Milton, it is difficult for me to interpret lines in such a cavalier manner.That being said, it is an app for those in the office, so perhaps, as a student, I am not the best reviewer! 

Sonnet of the Shepherd

Sonnet: Psalm 23

As a lamb, I do not want for the Lord

Is my shepherd and tends my feeble soul,

The sly, shadowy wolves from which he wards

Me; He quenches my thirst to make me whole.

His wooden rod and staff of protection,

Guide me as I walk the valley of death,

A lost sheep, the Lord gives me direction,

And comfort, and even my daily breath.

Before mine enemies’ eyes, he prepares

A table. He drops blessings on my head

With anointed oil and murmured prayers.

My cup runneth over, my living bread!

At my heels, goodness and mercy follow,

The Lord’s house fills my heart, no more hollow.

I, too, have gained a greater respect for Milton composing sonnets...what an endeavor!

Paradise Lost and Paradise Found

I'm Ashley Hill and I love Milton. Not only because he was blind and I am legally blind, but because of his magical way of writing. Did you know he would verbally dictate Paradise Lost and his daughters would write it down? I cannot imagine not being able to SEE what I had just written. He was a true author, in my opinion at least! Now I wouldn't have said that if I hadn't taken an English class last winter on Greek and Roman works, where we studied how the Iliad and the Aeneid shared traits with Paradise Lost. 

It will be a neat experience to hear Paradise Lost, as it is an epic poem and poems are meant to be listened to. Paradise Lost also intrigues me because of Milton's interpretation of the Adam and Eve story and how it reflects or contrasts with my own religious beliefs.

A little about me-I'm a senior majoring in English (is that obvious, at this point?) and minoring in Communications. I work at the Department of Visual Arts as a secretary and have no idea what I am doing after graduating, but hopefully I will be writing grants! I've been married to Cory for about 18 months and we are the happy owners of Sienna, a chocolate lab puppy, and Ella, a nine year old cocker spaniel. We got Sienna about a year ago when she was born and Ella is my childhood pet that my parents just sent to us from Illinois because they are currently moving to Minnesota! I love cooking, reading, hiking and decorating my home.

Cory and I this summer in San Diego! 

So nice of Sienna to get me a "Mother's Day" card... 

Cory and Ella on our yellow suede couches.