Crumb’s genesis was a really impressive
book which discussed the humanity and divinity. I was thinking about the human
nature in the beginning when human showed up after I read this book. Crumb draw
Adam and Eve naked in his book; it seems like erotic and indelicate. But I
start realize it is book talk about the beginning of the human. Adam and Eve
are the first two people in the world in the Bible, why they need to wear
clothes? It is interesting when I saw these pictures the first reaction is
people in this book do not wear clothes. We all know the story that Adam and
Eve were cheated by the snake and eta the forbidden fruit. Human starts to
realize shame and desire of ourselves. Here is the question, does the human
nature is innocent in the beginning, or the forbidden fruit weak up the evil of
human nature?
In my point of view, human beings are as
same as animals in the ancient. So naked is a normal situation. When we see a
monkey wear cloth, the first reaction for us is that the monkey came from circus
troup. But why do we not think we are funny when we see each of us wear clothes?
I think the cloth is the first thing human distinguish animal and us. After we
are getting clothed, we are not like animal anymore. Crumb’s genesis gives us a
version to re-think about the humanity. I believe the evil of human nature
always exists. If people are just innocent, we will never listen to the snake.
Because god already told us do not eat the forbidden fruit no matter what. So people
want to get out of control of god. To eat forbidden fruit is actually the human
beings idea.
The other thing I want to discuss is sex.
It is hard to say sex is behind or after Adam and Eve eta the forbidden fruit.
People considered sex in many different ways. The first purpose of sex is
giving birth to a child. But with the sexual behavior, people get lots of
pleasure. So most of time in the history, religions consider sex as a private
behavior. If a person had sex with multiple people, he would be seen as an indecent
person. I think the sexual behavior is happened before Adam and Eve eta the
forbidden fruit, but the meaning of sex or the rule of sex showed up after they
eta forbidden fruit.
I have to say the Forbidden fruit actually
is the basis of the morality for a long time. Shame told people what we can do
or not. Animal cannot feel shame, only people can feel that. Crumb wants us to
think about the human nature. He wants us to re-read the story of the Bible to
find the answer by ourselves. It is a great book and made us actually thinking
the beginning of human beings. There is no right or wrong, the only thing we
need to do is find our own answer.
Looking at the story of Adam and Eve to explore human innocence and evil is a good starting point, however I don't think you used Crumb's imagery at all to look at how his interpretations added or changed the meaning. You talk about how Crumb caused you to re-think human nature, but you need to point out evidence that comes directly from Crumb rather than just from the text of the bible, which Crumb did not change. Clothing vs nakedness is mentioned in both the text and shown in the pictures, maybe try to find a specific place where Crumb's illustrations go beyond the text, or when he emphasizes through pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou also use the third paragraph to talk about sex and its transformation after Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge. I think you should try to connect this with the rest of your essay more clearly, which will make it more cohesive and more interesting to read.
This isn't really on topic, like Ellen pointed out - you aren't working at all with Crumb's interpretations. I mean, I can see how the nakedness in the garden might be a bit of a surprise, but if he's going to be even vaguely faithful to the text this is how he needs to do it - it isn't an area where he is free to choose (now, the details of their appearance are another matter).
ReplyDeleteIn short, this doesn't really contain an argument which relates to Crumb in any discernable way.