Overview
The primary source comparison asks you to engage in close observation and analysis of two primary texts from distinct religious traditions: the story of Mariatale from a broad Hindu tradition and the story of Adam and Eve first from the Jewish Tradition, but also incorporated into the Christian tradition.
Read: Read the story of Mariatale.
Analyze: Think about the following questions: 1) Who has power in this story and when? 2) How does this text depict / construct the social role of male and female characters? 3) How does the treatment of Mariatale’s body contribute to the construction of gender? 4) Do other elements of identity interact with the construction of gender in this story? 4) How does the depiction of gender attempt to explain and/or define gender roles in the “real world” (i.e. for the audience of the story)?
In conjunction with answering these questions, look at the discussion of the story by Wendy Doniger that surround the story itself in the PDF.
Read: Read the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3)
Analyze: Think about the following questions: 1) Who has power in the story and when? 2) How does this story depict / construct the social role of male and female characters? 3) Does Eve’s body figure into the construction of Gender in this text, and if so how? 4) Do other elements of identity interact with the construction of gender in this story? 4) How does the depiction of gender attempt to explain and/or define gender roles in the “real world” (i.e. for the audience of the story)?
In conjunction with answering these questions, look at the discussion of the story by Carol Meyers and Shawna Dolansky in the accompanying PDF.
Compare: After reading and analyzing each text, compare the two texts. In what ways do they construct gender similarly? In what ways do they construct it differently?
Paper Instructions: Please write a 3–4 page (3 full pages minimum) comparing the construction of gender in each story. Your paper should have an introduction and conclusion. In the body of your paper you should describe the construction of gender in each story and compare the two. There is no one structural outline you must follow, but you are invited to structure your paper like this:
An introduction in which you articulate an argument about how these stories compare.
A section on Mariatale and its depiction of gender.
- A section on Genesis 2-3 and its depiction of gender.
- A section comparing the two depictions.
- Conclusion
- If you use insights from Wendy Doniger, Carol Meyers, or Shawna Dolansky, please cite parenthetically by placing the authors name following your use of their ideas like this (Doniger).
- Papers will be assessed on the following criteria: organization, close observation, and writing.
A. Organization. Is your paper clearly organized Do you address most of the specific topics outlined above? Being organized will help make the paper-writing process much less daunting.
B. Close Observation/Analysis. The paper’s argument should be grounded in a detailed observation of your text-artifact. Towards the beginning, your paper should briefly summarize the contents of your chosen text. Throughout the paper, give evidence from your observation of the text-artifact. Begin with what is explicitly present in the text-artifact, before filling in with your own inferences.
C. Writing.