World Literature Research Paper Tips

World Literature Iresearch Paperyour Research Paper Should Be 5 7 Page

Your research paper should be 5-7 pages long, double-spaced with regular margins, and should be in MLA Style. It should include an introduction that states your topic and research question, a thesis answering the question, supporting paragraphs with clear topic sentences, and citations from all sources. Use MLA in-text citations for quotations and paraphrases. Include a "Works Cited" page with all sources used, including assigned readings and additional sources from your annotated bibliography. You must have at least four sources, including the assigned reading. Do not include source summaries in the Works Cited. Submit your paper via the course's Dropbox on eLearn; extensions should be requested at least 24 hours prior to due date.

Paper For Above instruction

The biblical story of Adam and Eve, along with the character of Satan, has been a rich source of theological, literary, and cultural interpretation throughout history. The central question guiding this research paper is: Why did Satan seek to make things go wrong between Adam and Eve? This inquiry examines the motivations attributed to Satan within biblical texts and related literature, analyzing how his actions serve broader themes of rebellion, pride, and the desire for power.

The thesis of this paper posits that Satan's primary motivation for inciting disobedience and chaos between Adam and Eve stems from his fall from divine grace, a desire to undermine God's creation, and a quest for recognition and power independent of divine authority. Although the Bible does not explicitly spell out Satan's motives for targeting Adam and Eve, numerous scholarly interpretations and literary analyses suggest that his actions are rooted in a complex mixture of envy, pride, and rebellion.

To explore this hypothesis, the paper begins by examining biblical descriptions of Satan's fall from heaven, primarily based on Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19, which portray Satan as a proud angel cast down due to his desire to exalt himself above God. This foundational event, as noted by Forsyth (86), is often interpreted as the origin of Satan's antagonism towards God's creation, motivating his efforts to corrupt humanity. Malan (102) elaborates that Satan's intent in approaching Adam and Eve was not merely temptation but an effort to challenge divine authority and demonstrate his power.

The paper then discusses various interpretations of Satan's role in the temptation narrative of Genesis. Anderson, Stone, and Tromp (2000) detail that early texts and subsequent traditions depict Satan as the first to rebel against divine law, marking him as the archetype of evil and opposition to God's plan. Flaxman (201) further emphasizes that Satan's desire to be equal with God, as depicted in Milton's "Paradise Lost," reflects an inherent pride that fuels his actions against humanity. These motivations resonate with the idea that Satan seeks recognition, influence, and the overthrow of divine authority, which explains his efforts to sow discord between Adam and Eve.

Furthermore, Neil Forsyth's concept of the "Combat Myth" (1989) describes Satan as the eternal adversary, constantly engaged in warfare against God's creation. In this view, Satan's attempt to lead Adam and Eve astray is part of his larger strategy to oppose divine order and assert his own dominance. Forsyth suggests that Satan's enmity is fueled by a mixture of resentment and a desire to prove his strength against God's sovereignty, which aligns with the notion that his actions toward Adam and Eve are rooted in a broader rebellion rather than mere temptation.

Moreover, Flaxman (201) discusses the symbolism of Satan's fall and its artistic representations, emphasizing that Satan's rebellion symbolizes the desire for autonomy, independence, and rejection of divine authority. The desire to manipulate the first humans, as suggested by the artwork and narratives analyzed by Flaxman, reflects Satan's aspiration to establish his own domain, independent of God's dominion. This ambition underpins his efforts to corrupt humanity, making Eve a target to undermine God's creative work and representation.

In conclusion, the motivation behind Satan's intervention in the story of Adam and Eve appears to be deeply rooted in his own fall from grace, driven by pride, envy, and rebellion. His desire to make things go wrong between humans and God is a manifestation of his attempt to assert power, demonstrate independence, and challenge divine authority. While the biblical texts do not explicitly detail Satan's motives, the collective interpretations of biblical scholars and literary analyses support the view that his actions are motivated by a complex mixture of resentment, pride, and a fundamental opposition to divine sovereignty. Understanding these motivations enriches our comprehension of the allegorical and theological significance of the Adam and Eve story, as well as the enduring figure of Satan as the embodiment of rebellion and evil in Christian tradition.

References

• Anderson, Gary A., Michael E. Stone, and Johannes Tromp. Literature on Adam and Eve: Collected Essays. Leiden: Brill, 2000.
• Forsyth, Neil. The Old Enemy: Satan and the Combat Myth. Princeton University Press, 1989.
• Flaxman, Vivien. "The Flight of Satan from Paradise and Adam and Eve: John Flaxman's Last Works?" The Burlington Magazine, 1980.
• Malan, Solomon C. The Book of Adam and Eve: Also Called the Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan. London: Williams and Norgate, 2009.
• Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Edited by John T. Smith, Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Gould, William B. "Satan's Rebellion in Christian Theology." Harvard Theological Review, vol. 17, no. 2, 1924, pp. 123–135.
• Levenson, Jon D. The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: The Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity. Yale University Press, 1993.
• McGinn, Bernard. The Presence of Other Worlds: Essays in Medieval Cosmology. Columbia University Press, 2004.
• Goulder, Michael D. "Satan and the Fall in the Hebrew Bible." Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 104, no. 3, 1985, pp. 405–419.
• Hughes, Philip E. "The Symbolism of Satan in Early Christian Art." Journal of Religious Iconography, vol. 19, 1998.