post #3

In class, a few classes ago, the idea was brought up that Adam would have given into temptation just as easily as Eve did. I completely agree with that fact and will go one further in saying that he did give into temptation, but I don’t think he would have given into it if Eve didn’t. Eve was his temptation, his seducer.
In the book, Satan was the seducer of many: his following demons, cherubs, Eve, etc. That seemed to be his game, seduction. I believe that this was the one thing Satan and Eve had in common, Satan intentionally and Eve not so much. This fact is seen during the final books where Satan lures Eve to eat the apple and Eve lures Adam to do the same.
Satan appeared to Eve as an erect snake, an obvious phallic symbol, as this point was brought up in class. As the snake, Satan seduced Eve into believing that nothing bad would happen to her. He was enticing her mind as well as her body, and eventually she caved in. The seduction had won her over and she took a bite. Satan had succeeded as a seducer.
The point comes up, again, of whether or not Adam would have given into the temptation. I stand by my verdict that he would and did, but Satan could not tempt him straight up like he did with Eve. I believe that if Satan had come to Adam first he would have failed miserably. In that, Satan was a great tactician. He didn’t take out the weaker of the two, he just hit the first domino. Eve, now having the knowledge from the tree, felt guilty and didn’t know what would happen to her, this is when she decides to go get Adam. The book made it seem as though Adam took the apple for noble reasons, but I believe it was because of the seduction of Eve. Eve didn’t want to be alone with whatever was going to happen to her so she seduced Adam into the eating of the apple. Eve’s seduction of Adam was very much alike in Satan’s seduction of her, it was the sexual allure. It was in this that I believe Satan and Eve were alike, they both used seduction to get what they wanted: Satan to hurt God and force His hand against His creation and Eve a partner for life.