Summary
After Raphael finishes the story of creation, Adam asks
him about the motions of the stars, sun, and planets. Eve decides
to leave them alone to converse, not because she is bored or unable
to grasp the discussion, but because she prefers to hear about the
conversation afterward from Adam. Adam assumes from his observations
that the other planets orbit the earth, but Raphael explains how
it is possible (though not certain) that it only appears this way
because of the turning of the Earth on its axis. Raphael mentions
to Adam that it does not matter whether the Earth moves or the universe
moves around the Earth. Such broad questions often have no possible answers,
he explains, because God does not intend human beings to comprehend
everything about his creation. Furthermore, Raphael warns Adam that
he should be satisfied with the knowledge that God has made available
and to resist the urge to gain further understanding outside of
the limits he has set.
After listening to Raphael, Adam tells him what he knows
about his own creation. He remembers first awakening to consciousness, wondering
who and where he was. He quickly realized that he could walk, run,
jump, and even speak. Then God came to him and explained how and
why he was created, giving him dominion over all the rest of creation,
and asking in return only that he not eat from the Tree
of Knowledge. Adam surveyed his environment and met the animals
of Earth in pairs of two. He had never seen these creatures before,
but when God asked him to name the animals, he realized that he
already knew each of their names, as God had given him this knowledge
beforehand. Adam explains that he soon longed for a companion more
equal to himself than the animals, a person with whom he could share
his thoughts. To fulfill Adam’s desire, God created Eve from a rib
in Adam’s side while he slept. Adam remembers this fact because
God allowed his mind to remain aware of what was happening even
while he slept. Upon seeing Eve, Adam fell instantly in love.
Raphael talks to Adam about love, recommending that he
refrain from carnal passion and search for a pure love that rejuvenates
and expands his mind and body. Yet Adam is worried about his physical attraction
to Eve, since she is noticeably less pure than he. Raphael says
that while Eve is more beautiful on the outside, she is less worthy
than Adam on the inside. Her spirituality is weaker than Adam’s,
her intellect is slightly less developed, and her vanity is a serious
weakness. Raphael tells Adam that his love for Eve must transcend
her sexual attractiveness. Adam responds by admitting his physical
attraction to Eve while asserting that his love comes from her emotional
and spiritual companionship. Raphael reiterates to Adam the danger
that he faces with Eve and the need for both of them to avoid Satan’s
temptations. Afterward, Raphael takes his leave to return to Heaven
and Adam goes to sleep.
Analysis
Adam’s memory of first awakening to consciousness presents
significant differences from Eve’s first memories, which we see
in Book IV. Whereas Eve awakens in shade, Adam does so in broad
sunlight —“happy Light,” as he calls it (VIII.285).
Eve is quickly drawn in by reflections and images, coming to desire
an illusion of herself, and only gradually drawn by God toward Adam
and the wisdom represented by the platan tree. Adam, in contrast,
looks toward the sky and toward God immediately upon waking up.
He quickly discovers that he knows the true names of things, so
he is not deceived by mere appearances and shadows. God appears
to him as a visible presence rather than merely a voice, and entrusts
Adam with his commandments, all of which suggests that Adam is closer
to God and to the truth than Eve. When God asks Adam why he wants
a companion, given that God himself is solitary and without peer, Adam
shows that he understands his own nature, arguing that he is deficient
and defective, unlike God.
Adam’s account of his first meeting with Eve is somewhat
different from the version Eve gives in Book IV. There, Eve says
that she turned away from Adam at first because he did not seem
as attractive as her own reflection. Although Adam has heard Eve’s
explanation, in his explanation to Raphael he says that her turning
away from him seemed to him to be intentionally designed to make
her more attractive to him (whether the intention was Eve’s or God’s), as
it is natural for him to pursue her rather than the other way around.
This discrepancy could point to Adam’s tendency to deceive himself
where Eve is concerned.
Adam and Raphael’s description of Eve illustrates Milton’s
view of the inequality of men and women. Eve’s decision to leave
Raphael and Adam alone, preferring to hear the conversation from
Adam afterward, demonstrates her submission to Adam and her reluctance
to converse with the angel herself. We get the sense that she withdraws
because she acknowledges her place in God’s hierarchy. Moreover,
Milton tells us that she prefers to hear the story mingled with
Adam’s caresses, indicating that intellectual stimulation by itself
is not sufficient for her. Her absence allows Adam and Raphael to
discuss her openly, but it also implies Milton’s belief that women are
either uninterested or mentally ill-equipped for intellectual pursuits.
Whatever the reason, Eve’s lack of knowledge or engagement with
reason allows her to remain ignorant to the dangers that lie ahead
for her and Adam.
