In a More Modern Sense, JB is a More Effective Telling of the Story of Job

  In Archibald MacLeish’s novel, J.B., the main protagonist JB is described in scene one as a loving husband and father, enjoying a lovely meal with his family, all laughing and cheerful. However, in the blink of an eye, JB loses everything: his family, his job, and his reputation. Although he struggles for a long time, he never curses the Lord’s name, making it clear that those who suffer, but still bless the Lord’s name, will ultimately be rewarded for their faith in the end. Around the time of its publication, the story of J.B. is a more effective story in order to interpret the message of God compared to the Book of Job because audience members during the 1950s could feel more sympathy for JB’s character due to the way MacLeish creates a loving bond between him and his family, portrays JB emotions more clearly for the audience, and chooses the format of a play so people can feel more emotionally connected with the characters because of their ability to watch the story in person. The Book of Job, although incredibly similar to J.B., is more straightforward and does not integrate human emotions into the story as well as J.B., making it less relatable for readers during the mid twentieth century and doesn’t allow for those readers to feel an emotional bond to the story.

The Relationship Between JB and His Family

During the 1950s, most families had an average of three kids per family. In the novel J.B., the main protagonist and his wife have five children, which although is more than the average, is not out of norm. On the other hand, in the biblical story, the Book of Job, the character Job and his wife had seven sons and three daughters. The number of children alone make the story of Job a less relatable story for that audience than JB. Rather than seeing Job as an actual person who suffered from these losses, the audience would see Job as another fictional character because his life seems so different from theirs. In Job 1:1-3, it states, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.” Not only does Job’s family dynamic seem unreal, so does his lifestyle. Many people were still farmers, but the sheer size of Job’s farm is incredible. On the other hand, JB is a wealthy New York banker, a very respectable and viable career. This contrast between biblical and modern family structure has a big impact on the conveying of the message behind both stories: it may not always seem like it, but God is in control, and has a plan. Although both suffer a tremendous loss at the hands of God, for no true purpose other than the test of the protagonist’s faith, the audience was more inclined to feel sympathy for JB’s situation, because they could see this happening to themselves, or their own family. Therefore, because JB’s story is more likely to draw sympathy from the audience, it conveys the hidden message behind the story better than Job. If the audience was able to feel true sadness for JB, they would feel even more joy when JB is given a better life in the end, and truly understand that God does not put a human being through such terrible sufferings without showing them mercy, and will ultimately see His glory.

Not only did the audience relate more to the type of family JB has compared to Job, but to how JB interacted with his family. In the first scene of J.B., the main protagonist and his family are shown enjoying a well cooked meal prepared by their maid for Thanksgiving. The children hurry through grace in order to get their food more quickly, and JB and his wife look fondly upon their children. Although their lifestyle seems a bit more elegant than other families, it is a very wholesome and heartwarming scene. MacLeish is able to effectively exaggerate the family relationship of JB and his wife and children without making it too obvious that the family is supposed to represent the perfect “atomic family” of the 1950s. Also, instead of putting all the focus on JB himself, MacLeish gave a lot of the spotlight to Sarah as well. In his novel Archibald MacLeish: Reflections, an interviewer asks MacLeish about how there are several different versions of J.B., to which he replies, “It came over us in Washington that something was very, very wrong with the play… This is a play about J.B. but the conclusion of the play, as you have it now, is not J.B.’s—it’s Sarah’s.” So, many different versions were created of J.B. that focused around the wife as well as JB. This relates more to audiences in the 1950s because the women’s rights act of 1964 was happening right around the time of publication, so more females could relate to the play. On the other hand, during biblical times, the father of the household was seen as the Lord of the household, and held dominion over his family.  Ephesians 5:21-24 states, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” This type of family dynamic is archaic and outdated, and people in the twentieth century would look down upon this type of familial relationship. Therefore, when JB suffers, the audience would feel more sympathy for him because he is seen as a loving and great family man. Although Job was not depicted as a bad father or husband, this stigma around family dynamics during biblical times would automatically make Job look less connected to his family than JB. Therefore, the audience would feel a greater connection with the story of JB, and be more inclined to see the real message behind the story, making J.B. a more effective novel than the Book of Job. 

Going beyond just relating to how JB interacted with his family and children, the audience can relate more to how JB mourned for his children compared to Job. In the bible passage Book of Job, the child’s death’s are mentioned very quickly, without any real acknowledgement of their passings, in the novel JB, each child’s death is emphasized, and each child is given an individual part of the book. In the Book of Job, the death’s of the children were described in only two passages, “While yet he was speaking, there yet came another, and said, ‘Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: and behold there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead: and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.’” (Job 1:18-19). However, in the novel J.B., Each child suffers a different fate. The first son David is killed needlessly in war by “friendly fire.” The next two children, Johnathan and Mary, are killed by a drunk driver. Later in the novel, his daughter Rebecca is raped and killed by a drug addict. In the final stage of chaos, war breaks out and JB’s business is destroyed, and his last daughter Ruth is buried under the rubble of a collapsed building. In the story of Job, when all of his children die at once of one accident, it seems like Job suffers only once. On the other hand, JB loses one child after the next, making it seem as though JB suffers a lot more than Job. Also, not only did Job suffer the loss of all his children at once, he suffered all of his losses at the same time. The fact that JB’s suffering spans over a long gap of time compared to just one day’s worth of suffering makes JB’s pain seem greater than Job’s. This will make the audience have more sympathy for JB, so in the end when JB does not curse God, the message that those who continue to bless the Lord’s name even when they are going through a hardship will ultimately be rewarded in the end. 

JB’s Emotions Are Portrayed More Than Job’s

In the novel J.B., when JB is informed of his two children’s deaths, Johnathan and Mary, the reporters come to take pictures of him and his wife’s reactions. When they start to take their photos, JB lunges himself at the reporters, screaming, “You bastards! I’ll beat your goddamn brains out.” (MacLeish 69). Although during most scenes, JB is shown trying to rationalize the situation and keep his faith, in this moment of weakness the audience sees him bursting out because of his anger and sadness about losing his children. This type of reaction is completely normal, and many can understand his frustration. In a time where he and his family needed to be alone and mourn the death of his son and daughter, people started to run at them with flashing cameras in order to publicize their mourning. Although the girl warned them and told JB and his wife to cover their faces, that should not be their first priority, so reacting rudely to the situation is completely normal. On the other hand, when Job in the Book of Job learns about his children’s deaths, he “shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither.” (Job 1:20-21). Although the readers can obviously see that Job was in great pain, this would most likely not be the reaction of a normal person. Therefore, when MacLeish wrote J.B., he accurately was able to target the average person in the 1950s. Because the audience could relate more to JB compared to Job, they are able to sympathize more with JB, and become more aware of the message behind the story as a whole.

The message in both stories, J.B. and Book of Job, is that God’s silence does not mean that God has given up on you. One must always have faith, even during the hard times, in order to be rewarded after that hardship, and in the next life. In order to convey this message, the protagonist must convey their agony, pain, and absolute devastation, but still show their faith in God. This will in turn make the reward of God’s love more of a relevant ending to a moral dilemma, rather than just a story. Although both JB and Job do this, JB creates more of a sense of complete tragedy compared to Job. In scene six, JB is described with torn clothes and covered in white dust. He looks for his wife Sarah, after they discover the death of their last living daughter. In desperation, JB begs his wife, “Do not let go of my hand, Sarah! Say it after me: the Lord giveth,” to which Sarah replies mechanically, “The Lord giveth,” then he says, “The Lord taketh away…” In a fury, his wife flings her hands away from him, screaming “Takes! Kills! Kills! Kills! Kills!” His own wife, giving up on him and God, should be enough for him to finally stop praising the Lord. However, after moments of silence, he whispers, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (MacLeish 89-90). The in-depth descriptions and character roles in this scene make it more authentic and emotional. The audience can obviously see both JB and his wife are hurt, but JB is the only one who can keep believing. In the Book of Job, after Job has suffered incredible losses, he says, “As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgement; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul, all the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.” (Job 27:2-4). Although both scenes of JB and Job convey the same message, it is obvious that JB shows much more emotion, allowing audiences to connect more with him as a protagonist compared to Job. Therefore, when JB finally gets rewarded at the end of the novel, the audience is able to more fully understand why he stayed faithful during his time of trials, more so than Job, making the novel J.B. a more effective story of the message of God compared to the Book of Job.

Not only does the novel J.B. convey the protagonist’s emotions, but it creates a more realistic environment compared to the Book of Job. In MacLeish’s novel, all of the character’s emotions are shown, and how JB’s sufferings impacted them as well. Because the Book of Job is a biblical text, it is less of a story about Job’s sufferings, and rather a religious guideline, explaining how to act in the name of God. In scene eight of J.B., the audience is able to see the complete breakdown of Sarah, JB’s wife. JB says, “God will not punish without cause, God is just,” to which Sarah hysterically answers, “God is just! If God is just our slaughtered children stank with sin, were rotten with it!” This scene is very important because the audience is able to see not only JB’s inner turmoil, but the chaos that is happening around. It is though everyone has given up on God, and on JB as well. This gives readers a clearer sense of the complete tragedy that JB had to endure before he could be rewarded. On the other hand, the biblical passages focus less on the emotional side, and more on conveying the message that God is in control. In one passage, the Lord responds to Job’s doubts and declares, “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man: for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.” Although the main teaching lesson of the stories of Job and JB center around the fact that God is all controlling, it is easier for audiences to understand through human emotion rather than be told what to understand. Also, many theologists have acknowledged the fact that, “The phrase ‘difficult text’ is not a scientific definition, but an empirical-subjective description. What is difficult for one reader may be transparent to another; at other times, a given literary text may seem to be readily understood because one has not fully delved into its true meaning… It is clear that we are not dealing with a scientific term; nevertheless, the characterization of the book of Job as a ‘difficult book’ is not a subjective one, being universally accepted, even if scholars may disagree as to the theoretical definition of a ‘difficult text’.” (Hoffman 176). This being said, as a more difficult text to understand in the first place, the Book of Job is even more difficult to grasp without any other element that allows readers to sympathize with the text. Therefore, for readers during the time of publication, the novel J.B. is a more relatable novel and an easier read, compared to the Book of Job, when trying to convey the message that God is in control, and those who stay loyal to the Lord, even during their difficult times, will be rewarded. 

The Novel J.B. Portrayed as a Play

During the 1950s, many critics of the theater noticed the changing status of plays. Martin Halliwell noted that “Broadway was still the showcase of all major productions in the early 1950s, but the area around times square in midtown Manhattan was not as inviting as it had been before the war…Broadway became the victim of cold war conservatism and ‘grew more conscious of its cultural diet.’” (Halliwell 85). This means that less daunting plays and dramas were put on broadway because many people during the cold war had become sensitive to harsh content and only wanted to go to see a play to relieve themselves from the stress of everyday life. Therefore, when J.B. was produced, more people during the 1950s wanted to watch because, although it had some sensitive topics, the ending of the story was happy and joyous. Although both J.B. and the Book of Job had good endings for the protagonist, many people were more willing to go watch a production of the story than try to understand the difficult language of the Book of Job. A production of J.B. was a lot more easy to understand for most viewers because it focused more on the story of JB rather than trying to convey a message throughout the entire story, making J.B. more interesting and easier to watch and understand. Therefore, the production of J.B. was a more effective way to convey the message that those loyal to God will be rewarded in the end compared to the Book of Job.

The production of J.B. not only helped create an easier way of understanding the story as a whole, but helped the audience become more connected with the characters in the story. When reading the stories of both J.B. and the Book of Job, the reader can easily identify that both these readings are very sorrowful stories.  However, it is easier to get more wound up in the scenario when the audience can actually see the roles played out. When reading the Book of Job, readers are given an accurate description of Jon’s moral dilemma. In the biblical text, Job states, “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despite not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.” (Job 5:17-18). Although Job understands that God may bring down sufferings, he knows God will always be there for him and will never give up on him as long as he has faith. However, he is still miserable because he has lost basically everything that meant something to him in a matter of a few days. When reading that passage, the readers understand his pain, but can not sympathize too much because the wording is not very emotionally provoking. In the production of J.B., even if the language is not as heart wrenching, like the Book of Job, the audience is able to see facial expressions and even tears from the actor playing JB. Seeing someone else’s pain is much more melancholy than only reading about it. Therefore, the production of J.B. would allow more audiences to connect with the story of J.B. more than just the reading of the Book of Job would. This in turn would allow readers to not only feel the characters pain, but also feel their joy when they are rewarded in the end for staying faithful to the Lord. If audiences are more able to connect with the story, than they would more easily be able to understand the message of the play itself, making the story of J.B. a more effective conveying of the message of God than the story of the Book of Job.

Conclusion

To conclude, both the stories of J.B. and the Book of Job are passionate and mournful stories about a protagonist who has been punished by God in the most heart-breaking way in order to test their faith in the Lord. However, when J.B. was published in 1958, audiences were more likely to prefer the story of J.B. over the story of Job. The character of JB was a very relatable character during the 1950s because of his family dynamic, which perfectly embodied the atomic family lifestyle, and he was more of an emotional character which audiences could relate to because they could sympathize with JB’s emotions. Also, J.B. was published as a play, making it more attractive because more people were willing to watch a story acted out, rather than read and try to understand the message behind the words of a story. Therefore, the novel J.B. by Archibald MacLeish was a more effective way of conveying the message that God will reward those who stay faithful to Him, especially in their time of need, compared the the biblical passage Book of Job.

Works Cited

Halliwell, Martin. American Culture in the 1950s. Edinburgh University Press, 2007. World Cat. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.bucknell.edu/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1g0b2tf.9?refreqid=excelsior%3A7a3d9638b51544a509a00d082cf308c6&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Hoffman, Yair. A Blemished Perfection : The Book of Job in Context. Sheffield Academic Press, 1996. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bucknell/reader.ac tion?docID =436569&ppg=177

MacLeish, Archibald, et al. Archibald Macleish : Reflections. University of Massachusetts Press, 1986. WorldCat.

Paradise Lost: A More Acceptable Version of Genesis

Paradise Lost gives a recount of Satan appearing to Eve in the garden and appealing to her attractive features in order to get her to eat the forbidden fruit. Although Eve is the first to eat from the Forbidden Tree, Eve is shown as more difficult to convince, while Adam blindly follows along because of his adornment of Eve’s beauty. This represents the average Protestant family dynamic at the time of publication, because men were very dependent on women in relation to maintaining the household and watching the children. In the novel, John Milton creates an alternative story for the Genesis creation story, where gender roles are reversed, Satan is glorified, and God is presented as a more forgiving figure when Adam and Eve ate fruit from the Forbidden Tree. Paradise Lost is a more easily acceptable truth to the average Protestant individual compared to the Bible’s Genesis story because of the more realistic standards and beliefs portrayed in the novel. In the early 1650s, Milton worked for Oliver Cromwell during the Puritan Revolution. During this time, many of the citizens of England, Scotland and Ireland were Puritans who wanted to shred any evidence of Catholicism in their Church. Therefore, when Milton created a different origin story, he used his experience in the political arena to create a more appealing story for the masses, containing more humanistic features of Adam and Eve, and utilizing ideas that leaned further away from Catholicism.

Gender Roles

In the novel, towards the end of Book 9, Eve easily convinces Adam to eat the apple from the forbidden tree using her sexuality and intelligence against him. In the King James version of the Bible, the verse only references Eve giving Adam the apple without any further detail. The more detailed explanation of how Eve was able to easily get Adam to eat the fruit shows how intelligent Eve was and how Adam was so easily deceived. During this scene, when Eve relays the news about the apple, Adam is horrified. However he quickly begins convincing himself of reasons why he should eat the apple, in order to stay with Eve. For this whole scene, all Eve has to do is patiently ease Adam into eating the apple, using her charm and wit. Although some may interpret this novel as showing women as insubordinates to men because of Adams’ closer relationship with God, a further reading shows Eve as an empowered and strong woman who can use her intelligence in order to prove her superiority above Adam. Audiences can also see how in Erin Shield’s version of Paradise Lost, Eve’s intelligence is even more highlighted than in John Milton’s because Satan is represented as a female character. When Satan convinced Eve to eat from the tree, she does not appeal to her beauty, but her mind and intelligence. Satan says, “It’s a shame really… That Eve’s intelligence should only be appreciated by the lowliest of beasts. Doesn’t she long for greater context?” Utilizing yet another female character in this alternate Genesis story bolden’s Eve’s character even more. This aspect of Eve would appeal to female readers during this time because women were still considered below man and the weaker gender, so a novel highlighting the female intellect resonated with a large audience.

Immediately following the eating of the apple, God knows what they have done and sends his Son to confront Adam. Without reasoning or explaining himself, Adam childishly blames Eve, without taking any responsibility at first. This shows Adams’ more ignorant side and his foolish manner. This shameful act is not present in the King James version of the Bible, which only cites Adam and Eve praying for forgiveness. Although Adam blames Eve for giving him the fruit, the Son of God gives both Eve and Adam punishments: all women will feel pain during child labor, and all men will be forced to harvest off the Earth for nurishment. This proves equality between the genders, because both man and woman suffer due to the original act of Eve, followed by Adam. The female Puritan audience would positively react to this interpretation because of the revolution, which brought more attention to political matters regarding the female status. Therefore, the more dominant character of Eve alongside the more impulsive version of Adam would be more easily acceptable to the Puritan audience. 

The Puritan audience would also be more accepting of Paradise Lost in comparison to the original Genesis story because Adam and Eve more closely resembled the classic English family. During the late 17th and early 18th century, domestic families would consist of men being the breadwinners of the family, while women would run the household, manage the servants, raise and educate their children, and cook and feed their family. Because of their more prominent role in domestic life, families would put dowries on their daughters in order to find the best spouse for the family. When analyzing the relationship between Adam and Eve, we always see Adam attempting to “chase” Eve, in order to receive her love. In the scene where Eve convinces Adam to eat the apple, Adam is finally convinced because it means that Eve and he will suffer the same doom, even if it causes the fall of mankind. He believes that her love is the reason he should eat the apple, while Eve wants him to eat it so she doesn’t suffer alone. This relationship highlights the control Eve holds compared to Adam, just like how average domestic women hold more major responsibilities in the household compared to men. Audiences can also see Eve as a more modern woman because during the late 17th century, the average domestic housewife during Milton’s time needed to be educated in order to provide for the family. Therefore, Milton’s educated and clever Eve more closely resembled the average female. The King James version of the Bible does not highlight Eve’s sophistication and power in the husband/wife relationship, making it less relatable for readers during the 17th and 18th century compared to Paradise Lost.

Satan is Glorified

Throughout the novel, Paradise Lost, John Milton paints Satan in a very charming and desirable way. Milton is able to capture the reader’s attention and give them someone to root for because he portrays Satan as an “underdog” and as someone people admire. The audience can especially see this in book one, when Satan is sent to hell after losing the battle of the uprising against God. Rising from the flames, Satan still does not repent, and gathers his army with plans of another attack. In many famous films, the protagonist is at first defeated, but then comes back to win everything back, like in Rocky or The Karate Kid. The audience can see the same type of charisma in Satan as one would see in Rocky Balboa and Daniel LaRusso. Audiences are more attracted to these types of stories because they have someone to support and encourage throughout the novel. In Genesis, since Satan is an evil that the audience does not like, and God is all powerful and unbeatable, the reader does not have anyone to root for. While Genesis is more of a history textbook, Paradise Lost is a thrilling origin story that follows the comeback of Satan and his army. Also, during Milton’s time, the Protestant Revolution was occuring. Protestants would have been seen as the “underdog” compared to Catholicism, so when the revolution occured, Protestants could more easily relate themselves to Satan because of their common characteristics. Therefore, when Milton created Satan as a figure worthy of appraisal, he was able to draw in more Protestant readers because they would be able to relate it back to themselves and what was happening at the time.

Not only can the audience view Satan as someone worthy of their support, but as someone with ambition and and passion in what he does. These are the types of characteristics that make someone stand out and make them worthy of success and admiration. Therefore, when Milton presents Satan’s character in this manner, readers would be more interested in this novel compared to Genesis because of the strong, alluring protagonist. In the original Genesis story, the events are written in a more formal tone, just stating the facts, rather than telling a story. This writing style does not give audiences a hero or antihero because it is more centered around what events occurred, rather than who forced these events to occur. Although God is the central figure in Genesis, readers are not attracted to God as a hero because He seems very far away from the story. On the contrary, in Paradise Lost, Satan is a very real and human character that everyone can relate to and be inspired by. For example, when Satan rebels against God and is sent down to Hell, the bible barely touches upon the subject, with merely on line from the book of Isaiah, stating, “How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12). However, in Paradise Lost, Milton describes Satan’s rise from the flames, with his fallen army, determination in his eyes, ready to strike again. In comparison, the more compelling text is Milton’s because of the in-depth character description and the elongated description of the events that occured throughout Genesis. When Milton utilizes Satan’s more compelling personality, he is able to catch the reader’s attention and draw them into the character. Milton most likely utilizes this method of writing because he had a very complex self-construction. In Barbara K. Lewwalski’s biography on Milton, she explains how “he is concerned with how he sees himself and how he will show himself to others.” This explains why Milton was so involved in creating a different appearance to the classical Satan figure of the time. Because of the Protestant Revolution, Milton was able to successfully create an ambitious and admirable Satan that would attract readers. Therefore, making Satan a more alluring character made Paradise Lost a more interesting read at the time.

Not only did Milton make Satan more attractive by giving him more desirable qualities, but also made Satan a more sexualized figure. This makes Paradise Lost a more attractive read because this Satan is more relatable than the ideal perfectness of God in Genesis. Throughout the novel, Satan is described as a bruting figure, with a very charming personality. When finding Eve in the Garden of Eden, he is able to convince her to eat the apple from the Forbidden Tree by appealing to her beauty and physic. Satan continually calls Eve in book nine “Empress,” or “Queen of this universe,” and appeals to her beauty and intelligence. In Genesis, the line where Satan convinced Eve to eat from the tree was, “Ye shall not surely die, For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened.” (Genesis 3:4-5). This line from Genesis is a lot less complicated because Satan barely had to convince Eve to eat the fruit. It was as though he didn’t even have to try. On the other hand, in Paradise Lost, Satan is a lot more clever and uses his own sexuality and Eve’s sexuality to get her to eat from the tree.  People will be more prone to believing that Eve ate from the tree because she was deceived by a very mysterious and clever character, rather than just being told to eat from the tree and not putting up a fight. This way, the audience can identify with Eve’s mistakes because humans make mistakes and can sometimes be led in the wrong direction. Also, by making Satan more sexualized, Milton is able to allow readers to see more humanity in him. If Satan was just some demon that had no emotions, no one would be able to relate to his character, even if he had ambitions. But giving him a more sexual identity, the audience can visualize him and relate him to themselves. Therefore, by sexualizing Satan, Milton was able to make Paradise Lost a more easily acceptable truth compared to Genesis because more people could relate to the figure of Satan.

God is Represented as a More Kind and Forgiving Character

In Genesis, God is a very distant character that seems to be very harsh and strict when speaking to Adam and Eve. In Paradise Lost, God is made into a more forgiving and kind figure when dealing with Adam and Eve, especially when they eat from the Forbidden Tree. This more forgiving God in Milton’s novel is more appealing to readers because it gives them a sense of safeness and security because even if you sin, God will always forgive you. In Genesis, when describing how God dealt with Adam and Eve after they ate from the Forbidden Tree, it states, “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24). On the other hand, in Milton’s Paradise Lost, God sends Adam and Eve out of the garden, but also reassures them that, although they may have eaten from the Forbidden Tree, there is still possibilities for man and woman to redeem themselves on Earth. This more relaxed approach to a mistake made by humans is more reassuring for the average Protestant individual because the entire Protestant Revolution is based on stripping away the strictness associated with the Catholic church. Therefore, when Milton takes a more open hearted approach to creating God’s character, compared to the distant God in Genesis, he is able to catch the reader’s attention and allow themselves to believe more in the forgiving figure, rather than Genesis, making Paradise Lost a more believable way to write Genesis.

Milton is also able to make Paradise Lost a more acceptable novel compared to Genesis because God seems to be less powerful than Satan. Because Satan represents a more revolutionary figure, people during that time would see Satan as a personification of the Puritan Revolution, and therefore enjoy seeing Satan overpower God. In David Loewenstein’s novel  “Representing Revolution in Milton and His Contemporaries : Religion, Politics, and Polemics in Radical Puritanism,” he states that Milton would “represent the horror of Antichritian rebellion and its proliferating power by using images of the monstrous and unnatural in his prose and poetry.” Therefore, by using Satan, the single being that birthed sin and chaos, in his poem, he was utilizing a monstrous character in order to show his resistance to the Puritan Revolution. However, because the revolution was so popular by the time Paradise Lost was published, Milton made Satan a stronger character so that more people would read his poetry. This choice helped Milton attract more readers and allow for more people to relate to the story. When Adam and Eve are fooled by Satan, od does not rebuke Satan that badly, only making the serpent slither on the ground for the rest of its life. Then, God immediately follows with the fact that although they sinned, they can be redeemed. This makes God look like more of an inferior character because he almost accepts the fact that Satan ruined his ultimate plan for humankind. Therefore, by giving Satan a more prominent role compared to a kind and subtle God, Protestant readers are more attracted to Paradise Lost compared to Genesis.

Also, throughout the novel, God is portrayed as a character who is very closely intertwined with Adam and Eve, while God in Genesis is more of a distanced character. This more closely connected relationship Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost attracts more readers because more Protestant readers are attracted to a more personal relationship with God compared to having to go to church every Sunday and paying indulgences to have a close relationship with God. For example, in Book 8, when describing his coming about, Adam remembers waking up in the sunlight, and first seeing God before anything else. This shows how close their bond is because of their immediate connection when Adam arises. On the other hand, in Genesis, Adam’s creation is barely described in detail, just mentioned in passing, making it less of a strong connection between Adam and God. Therefore, the more kind and closely connected God in Paradise Lost is a more acceptable truth compared to the story of Genesis.

To conclude, John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a more believable and popular interpretation of Genesis during Milton’s time because of more empowerment in the character of Eve, the glorification of Satan, and a more loving and forgiving God figure. Throughout the novel, Eve is shown as a more clever and knowledgeable female character, attracting female audiences during Milton’s time. By creating a glorified Satan, Protestant audiences can see him as a more attractive character, and can see him as a personification of the Puritan Revolution. Also, by creating a more loving and forgiving God, many readers are more attracted to the representation of a less strict and harsh, punishing God. Therefore, Milton’s Paradise Lost is a more acceptable truth compared to the Bible’s Genesis story because audiences during the time of publication would prefer the choices Milton made throughout his novel.   

Works Cited

Lewalski, Barbara K. The Life of John Milton : A Critical Biography. John Wiley & Sons, 2007. 

Libraries Worldwide. 

Loewenstein, David. Representing Revolution in Milton and His Contemporaries : Religion, 

Politics, and Polemics in Radical Puritanism. Cambridge University Press, 2001. 

Libraries Worldwide. 

Savoie, John. “‘That Fallacious Fruit’: Lapsarian Lovemaking in ‘Paradise Lost.’” Milton 

Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 3, 2011, pp. 161–171. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24462010. 

Shields, Erin, and John Milton. Paradise Lost. First edition., First ed., Playwrights Canada Press, 

2018. Libraries Worldwide,

public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=5840976. 

In both Exodus and the movie “The Ten Commandments,” God’s power is depicted as something that should be feared rather than admired. Instead of reveling in His power, the masses are shown fearful of His might. Therefore, the audience can conclude that we are not truly shown God’s love until He gives Moses the Ten Commandments.

In the book of Exodus, when discusses God’s power, many People describe it as something to be fearful of. During the time of the enslavement of the people of Israel, when the Pharaoh tells all the handmaids to kill their child if it is born a boy, they choose not to because the “midwives feared God” (Exodus 1:17). Although the midwives fear God, He did treat them well for keeping the children born male alive. However, we are shown in Exodus 4:14 that God can be perceived as fearful, stating “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.” In every CCD class I attended, God was always described as all loving and all kind. Therefore, it was quite odd reading Exodus and seeing God painted as a feared leader. A reasonable explanation for why God might have seemed fearful at the time is because the Pharaoh was also seen as a godly figure, and people may have just confused their fear of the Pharaoh’s wrath with a fear of God himself. However, we can see a shift in language after Moses received the Ten Commandments. Because the people were given freedom and true structure, they are able to see all the good God has done for them.

We also see this resemblance in the film “The Ten Commandments.” At minute 3:13, we see the Pharaoh depicted as almost sympathetic because his first and only son died by the wrath of God.  Not only do we feel sorrow for the Pharaoh, but the entire scene where Moses sits with family throughout the night, hearing the screams of mothers losing their first child, is gruesome. The Holy Spirit looks haunting as it covers the entire sky over the town (3:03). However, after the night is complete, we see the people of Israel rejoice after finally being allowed to evacuate Egypt and find the Holy Land. But unfortunately, the people of Israel still feared the Lord’s power and could not fully accept Him. Not until Moses delivered the Ten Commandments were the people of Israel fully true to the Lord’s word. After the revealing of the Ten Commandments, the audience is shown a turning point within the people of Israel. Everyone was finally able to rejoice in the word of God, without feeling fear.

In the readings for King’s book one and two, false prophets were harshly persecuted for denying that the Lord was the one and only true God. Because of the severity of the punishments given to the false prophets, the audience is able to see why St. Athanasius stresses the importance of praying away the false fortune tellers and prophets.

In chapters 31-35, St. Athanasius provides several different scenarios where the devil may attempt to lead those with weakened faith towards false beliefs and away from God’s good graces. At some point, the audience may see this repetition of the same lesson redundant, but after reading Kings, it is easy to see why this is such an important lesson. In Kings book one verse 18:40, Elijah slays all the false prophets of Baal after proving that their god was not a real god, and they were spreading false words that attempted to steer followers away from the Lord. The manner in which the prophets were slain was very harsh and revealing of God’s vengeance. Therefore, in chapter 32 when St. Athanasius stresses the importance of praying away false fortune tellers, the audience can understand why he chooses to expand so widely on the idea of only believing God as the holder of the future. When I first read the chapter, I immediately thought of a weatherman and was confused on why St. Athanasius would so harshly speak against those who attempted to know the weather in the future. However, when using the information from King’s book one, it is obvious why this would be such an important lesson. 

Another example of false prophets being persecuted is in Kings book one verse 20:36. In this verse, the man refused to spite the son of the prophets in the name of the Lord. Therefore, the man was slain by a lion. This cruelty seems very unnecessary to me because the man was asked to smite someone, and refusing almost seemed like the better option. However, this is only a lesson that is told in order to illustrate how followers of the Lord must obey His orders, no matter what, because God has His followers best intentions in mind, even if it may not seem like it at first. We see this reflected in St. Athanasius’ writings in chapter 40. Instead of listening to Satan’s temptations, especially in a time of weakness, St. Athanasius chose to pray and follow the word of God, and every time Satan would leave out of fear of the word of God. This story of his own personal struggle portrays the lessons taught in Kings and further explains God’s intentions. 

In Ecclesiasticus, it is evident that the man with the most wisdom is the man who ultimately fears God. Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is rooted in the ideal that all men are equal and it is shameful to ask God to help keep another human in bondage. Lincoln is able to embody the idea of true wisdom because of his adamant stance against slavery and his complete trust in God’s will.

In his second address, Lincoln states, “It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged.” Lincoln shows great wisdom by phrasing his opinions in this form because he does not use any harsh or cruel language. He is able to accept the truth that God knows best, so he does not need to aggressively assert his opinion, only the fact that God is in control and does not submit to the will of man. By fighting for the rights of the slaves, his is exemplifying his submission to God because he was still willing to fight for their emancipation even though at the time this was not the most popular and agreeable solution. This act shows true “fear” of God because he is showing himself as submissive to Gods will.

Abraham Lincoln’s act of submission can also be seen as contemporary to Ben Sira, the author of Ecclesiasticus. Sira proved his ultimate wisdom throughout the text he transcribed, describing in detail proper moral instruction and common sense gained from experience. Sira also goes through the history of the ancestors and Patriarchs. By providing instruction on friendship, discipline, how to treat wives/women and children, and giving detail on how the new generation can be saved, Sira did God’s will and showed his ultimate wisdom, by defining it: “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.” This emphasizes the importance of obedience to God and we can see a lot of this obedience in Lincoln’s Second Inaugural. Lincoln states, “Yet, if God wills that [the war] continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether”” Although a very lengthy description, Lincoln purposefully asserts that he will not stop fighting for God’s will ever, which we see in Sira’s writing as well.

Spenser’s Epithalamion versus Solomon’s Song of Songs

In both Spenser’s Epithalamion and Solomon’s Song of Songs, each author writes about a wedding. However, both have different purposes. Solomon’s Song of Songs intertwines different types of love poetry, while all Spenser’s Epithalamion is is a poem celebrating a wedding. Spenser’s Epithalamion is a more endearing and personal poem on a wedding,  making it more real and relatable because it idolizes the bride, and the author of the poem is the groom.

In Spencer’s Epithalamion, the author praises the bride throughout the entire poem. In the ninth stanza, the author describes her walking down the aisle as, “Clad all in white, that seems a virgin best. So well it her beseemes that ye would weene, Some angell she had beene.” Giving the bride this type of love and idolization makes this poem more heartwarming for the audience. It gives the readers the real experience of the wedding and allows them to feel more present in the scenario. On the other hand, although the author does praise his bride, it is not throughout the entire poem, and is not as personal of a connection. In the Song of Solomon, the author describes her as, “My love is like a roe or a young hart,” which is not a very detailed or sentimental description. It does not give the audience the same feeling as Epithalamion because it does not create the same bond between bride and groom, only talking about their relationship from a third person perspective.

Also, the author of the Song of Solomon tells the story from multiple points of view, instead of just one person’s perspective. For example, in chapters seven and eight of Song of Solomon, the author jumps from the perspective among the bride, the groom, and others attending the wedding. This may give the audience a greater perspective on the wedding itself, because we are hearing things that some of the characters don’t know, but this also takes away from the raw, genuine feelings of each character, because we can not focus on just one. In Epithalamion, we hear the perspective of just the groom, who gushes over his new bride, and describes in great detail each event that comes to pass throughout the wedding. This allows the audience to connect more with the groom and appreciate everything that is happening at the wedding. Therefore, Epithalamion gives the audience a more personal experience, making the poem a more real and powerful poem on a wedding compared to the Song of Solomon.

John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Process, is a religious allegory about a good man’s journey through life. Christian’s journey is symbolic of a Catholic man’s struggles to get to Heaven because of the symbolisms behind the names of each character and the destination of the “Celestial City.”

At one point during Christian’s journey in The Pilgrim’s Process, he is traveling with Faithful. The audience can obviously see that Faithful is supposed to represent all Catholic peoples faith in God. However, Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank put Faithful on trial, and sentences Faithful to death. This storyline is a description of how sins can lead people away from their faith in God and completely blind them from the Lord’s will. However, Bunyan provides a small poem in verse 243, that states, “Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest, Unto thy Lord; with whom thou shalt be blest, When faithless ones, with all their vain delights, Are crying out under their hellish plights: Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy name survive; For though they kill’d thee, thou art yet alive!” So even though Faith was executed, Faith can never truly die because there always will be Hope. In the story, Hopeful comes to replace Faithful and continue to lead Christian to the Celestial City. Naming these characters was a very overt way to symbolize the common struggles of the average Catholic individual, and their struggle to reach Heaven.

Also, Christian’s destination at the end is the Celestial City, which is a symbol of Heaven. Throughout Cristian’s journey, he has to face many hardships, and meet many characters, good and bad. Although at some points he was led astray from his path towards the Celestial City, like when Faithful was killed and he was sent back to jail, he was still always helped along the way by characters such as Hopeful and Faithful. He was always being guided, like how God is supposed to lead us on the path of righteous to Heaven. This is a great religious allegory because it shows how even though Christian was led off the path of salvation by Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank, God will always be there in the form of Hope to guide us back onto the path towards the “Celestial City.” By creating this end game of true holiness, Bunyan is accurately portraying the long and tumultuous path on getting to Heaven.

In a More Modern Sense, JB is a more Effective Telling of the Story of Job

In Archibald MacLeish’s novel, J.B., the main protagonist JB is described in scene one as a loving husband and father, enjoying a lovely meal with his family, all laughing and cheerful. Around the time of its publication, the story of J.B. is a more effective story in order to interpret the message of God compared to the Book of Job because audience members during the 1950s could feel more sympathy for JB’s character due to the way MacLeish creates a loving bond between him and his family, portrays JB emotions more clearly for the audience, and chooses the format of a play so people can feel more emotionally connected with the characters because of their ability to watch the story in person. MacLeish did an incredible job of integrating the more modern ideals of the time into his writing, making his work more empathetic. The Book of Job, although incredibly similar to J.B., is more straightforward and does not integrate human emotions into the story as well as J.B., making it less relatable for readers during the mid twentieth century and doesn’t allow for those readers to feel an emotional bond to the story.

During the 1950s, most families had an average of three kids per family. In the novel J.B., the main protagonist and his wife have five children, which although is more than the average, is not out of norm. On the other hand, in the biblical story, the Book of Job, the character Job and his wife had seven sons and three daughters. The number of children alone make the story of Job a less relatable story for that audience than JB. Rather than seeing Job as an actual person who suffered from these losses, the audience would see Job as another fictional character because his life seems so different from theirs. In Job 1:1-3, it states, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.” Not only does Job’s family dynamic seem unreal, so does his lifestyle. Many people were still farmers, but the sheer size of Job’s farm is incredible. On the other hand, JB is a wealthy New York banker, a very respectable and viable career. This contrast between biblical and modern family structure has a big impact on the conveying of the message behind both stories: it may not always seem like it, but God is in control, and has a plan. Although both suffer a tremendous loss at the hands of God, for no true purpose other than the test of the protagonist’s faith, the audience was more inclined to feel sympathy for JB’s situation, because they could see this happening to themselves, or their own family. Therefore, because JB’s story is more likely to draw sympathy from the audience, it conveys the hidden message behind the story better than Job. If the audience was able to feel true sadness for JB, they would feel even more joy when JB is given a better life in the end, and truly understand that God does not put a human being through such terrible sufferings without showing them mercy, and will ultimately see His glory.

Not only did the audience relate more to the type of family JB has compared to Job, but to how JB interacted with his family. In the first scene of J.B., the main protagonist and his family are shown enjoying a well cooked meal prepared by their maid for Thanksgiving. The children hurry through grace in order to get their food more quickly, and JB and his wife look fondly upon their children. Although their lifestyle seems a bit more elegant than other families, it is a very wholesome and heartwarming scene.  MacLeish is able to effectively exaggerate the family relationship of JB and his wife and children without making it too obvious that the family is supposed to represent the perfect “atomic family” of the 1950s. On the other hand, during biblical times, the father of the household was seen as the Lord of the household, and held dominion over his family.  Ephesians 5:21-24 states, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” This type of family dynamic is archaic and outdated, and people in the twentieth century would look down upon this type of familial relationship. Therefore, when JB suffers, the audience would feel more sympathy for him because he is seen as a loving and great family man. Although Job was not depicted as a bad father or husband, this stigma around family dynamics during biblical times would automatically make Job look less connected to his family than JB. Therefore, the audience would feel a greater connection with the story of JB, and be more inclined to see the real message behind the story, making J.B. a more effective novel than the Book of Job.

In Chapter 5 of the Gospel of John, Jesus heals a bedridden man on the Sabbath day. On the other hand, in chapter 2, section 7 of Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov finds a man near death after getting run over by a carriage. He does his best to try and save him, but the man ends up dying anyways. The fact that Raskolnikov can not save the dying man is a sign of how he is not a holy or respectable character, which is made evident by the many references to Catholicism and by his satisfaction in looking like a hero instead of actually trying to save the man.

On page 182 of Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov states, “At that point more steps were heard, the crowd in the entryway parted, and a priest, a gray-haired old man, appeared on the threshold with the Holy Gifts.” The main character, however, was more relieved to see the doctor, however, because he was the one who sent for him. To his disappointment, the doctor said bluntly that he would die no matter what. However, the priest heard his confession and stayed with him until his death. This obvious contrast between the spiritual and mortal world is made blatant by Dostoevsky, who shows the doctor and an uncaring character and the priest as a very moral individual. By adding in this religious factor of the main character priorities of a doctor rather than a priest, it highlights Raskolnikov’s true intentions of why he wants to save the man, rather than what his moral intentions should be. By making him an opposition to the religious factor in the book, Dostoevsky is able to emphasize the main characters true features and bad qualities.

Also, the audience is shown how the main character is very self involved during this period of chaos. Multiple times during this madness, Raskolnikov mentions not to worry about anything, and how he will pay for anything. By undertaking this role, he makes himself seem more worthy in the other characters eyes, because he so “generously” paid for everything. In the Gospel of John, Jesus healed the man because “my Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” His answer is simple, and gives all credit to God, not himself. In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov needs the satisfaction and knowing he was the most helpful person during the event of trying to save the man, but in the end the man still dies. Instead of leaving to let the family grieve, he gives them more money, for any “compensations,” even though he only knew the man for a week. The entire time, he has this sort of arrogance about him, knowing he had the money the family didn’t. Jesus did not have any arrogance, and was able to save the bedridden man. This contrast of who survived and who died is highlighted in the different characteristics of each individual who helped care for the dying man. The fact that Raskolnikov completely contrasts Jesus’ character further shows his immoral character and unworthiness.