Week 2 Reading Diary: Bible Women

The first thing I noticed about the first story, "Eve," was the use of "Lord God," not just "the Lord," or "God," or one of His other names. I think it was the author's way of signifying who God was and how it was important to that story. This happens several times in The Bible, where someone calls God a certain name because of what He's done. A similar tactic could be used in writing; one character may call Josh "Joshua," another may call him "Babe," and another may call him, "Punk," each revealing something about character relationships.

I think it's weird how Adam says "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh," because at the time, Adam hadn't had a father or mother. Did God just give him the knowledge of parenthood at his creation? The author (man, that's a mystery I'd love to be solved) doesn't offer much backstory here. This brings to mind, what background information is important/vital to a story, and what is best left unsaid?

Eve thinks nothing of the tree of knowledge until the serpent entices her. So sometimes a character doesn't seek change for herself, but is persuaded by other characters—but then her strength is revealed by whether or not she stands her ground. So, you can use other characters to really exemplify what lies within your protagonist.

I thought it was interesting that God tells the serpent he must slither on the ground for what he has done. This reminds me pf old folktales that offer explanations for "why the sky is blue" or why zebras have stripes. This "explanation" story is something I'd like to explore with my own writing.

Nearly every sentence in Genesis starts with "And." Just proof your elementary-school teachers were wrong when I told you starting sentences with "and" was against the rules. I do it in my writing all the time. And I like it.

In Rebekah's story, Abraham's servant is looking for a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac, so he sends a servant to find one. The servant finds Rebekah, and he hits it off with the family, and then... Rebekah is asked if she'll go with Abraham's servant. This is The Decision! (This is more of a note from my novel class. In every story, the protagonists decides—or is forced to decide—whether he or she will change one's life. The Turning Point. Stories need this.)

 

(The moment Rebekah's life changed forever)

When Rebekah is traveling to meet her new husband, she sees him in the distance. The author describes this moment from both of their (Isaac and Rebekah's) points of view, and I think that's a neat idea, showing the story from two viewpoints back-to-back.

"And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." I just love this quote. It's a simple way to express how much Jacob loved Rachel. (Sidenote: how sucky to be Leah, that your father had to trick a man into sleeping with you! And Jacob... you really couldn't tell it was a different woman?)

These stories are from the King James version of the Bible, detailing the events of women in the Old Testament. The author of Genesis is unknown, though some believe it to be Moses.