I can’t remember how I got here. I just woke up and there was this guy, Adam here too. All my stuff is here which is nice, so at least I have something. I’ll try to write down something everyday, so I can try to figure out how to get out of here.
July 3
Ok, so not quite everyday, but I’m trying. We aren’t the only ones here. There’s other people, but I can never seem to see their faces. Adam talks to them, so I’m just gonna say they’re all shy or something. But, there is something weird about them. They’re always in the corner of my eye, and it’s getting a little creepy.
July 6
Adam’s nice. He’s kind of funny and he always wants to help me out, but he doesn’t know what’s going on either. He doesn’t seem too bothered by that though. I’ve been walking around for the past couple days, trying to figure out where we are, but I can’t figure it out. There’s palm trees next to pine trees, and I’m no botanist but that’s not quite right. I just can’t figure out why he doesn’t want to leave.
July 9
Adam made me dinner last night. It was pretty good, it definitely wasn’t the best thing ever but I really appreciated it. I’m still looking for a way out, but Adam seems pretty content here and doesn’t really want to talk about leaving. I think he thinks that we’d go our separate ways, but I wouldn’t do that to him. I just hope he wouldn’t do that to me.
July 14
There’s something so disgusting about being stuck here with just Adam to talk to. Ever since I got to this “Paradise”, I’ve just been miserable. It’s not like I thought I was going on vacation or anything, I just didn’t know I’d end up here. What’s worse is that no one but Adam directly talks to me. It really feels sexist and I’m tired of it. I want to know what’s going on, but every time I try to figure it out, everyone just hovers out of sight and doesn’t talk to me. At least Adam’s nice, he really does try his best.
July 15
I finally convinced Adam we should get some space, so that I can write in this journal more regularly. Ok, that’s not quite the whole story, we got into a fight. I think it’s been a long time brewing. I might have insinuated that this whole place is sexist, and that I’m not lesser than him. He didn’t think that was true, but he doesn’t know what it’s like. So, I told him to go away, and walked off. What else was I supposed to do? No one wants to talk to me except Adam and I’m the only woman here. So, I guess that’s similar to home, an unequal gender ratio, but I’m TIRED of it. I just want someone to talk to and for someone to listen to me.
July 16
Adam and I are still fighting. We didn’t talk all of yesterday and I feel a little bad but I don’t know what to do. When I left, I saw him open his mouth like he was gonna say something, so I turned around but he just shook his head and apologized. Whatever. There’s a new guy here. Like someone I can actually talk to. He said his name is Serpo? Or something like that. Kind of a weird name, but whatever. He’s pretty nice. I think he knows a way out of this place. I really want to go, but I need to find Adam first. I can’t leave him. I know we’re fighting, but he’s the closest thing I have to a real friend. I’m not going to leave without Adam.
July 17
Serpo’s way out is real. I didn’t really believe him at first but it works. Adam came with me which I’m really happy about. I got really nervous that he wouldn’t, and for a second it seemed like he wouldn’t but we did it. We had to sneak out late last night, as I write this we’re currently on a bus to a place called Topeka. I haven’t heard of it, but Adam seems to have recognized the name so that’s good. I think we’re going to stick together from now on.
Analysis:
For my creative piece I decided to write a short piece from the perspective of Eve. In my story Adam and Eve are stuck in an unknown place and I chose to write in the form of diary entries sporadically written. I chose to write it this way because I think writing from the perspective of Eve is really interesting and gives a really different perspective especially as Milton was a man and did not have the same understanding of the struggles of women. I wrote in the diary entry form as I wanted to explore writing a piece where the majority of the plot takes place offscreen. Additionally I wanted to try and write in a modern way, giving new insights into the thought process of Eve and her feelings towards the world. Something I really wanted to capture was the fact that Eve was a woman in a male dominated environment and while the tone of my piece is largely comedic I wanted it to be known that this apparent gender inequality is not overlooked or ignored by Eve.
I was inspired by two main phrases which I based my writing on. “Let us divide our labors, thou where choice / Leads thee or where most needs” (9.214-15). This line is an obvious one, as it clearly indicates Eve’s desire for separation. I decided to take this line and it served as my main inspiration when I began writing. My other main phrase was “Of fellowship I speak / Such as I seek, fit to participate / All rational delight wherein the brute/ Cannot be human consort” (8.389-392). This one I chose as it showcased the inherently unequal power structure that plagues the world of Adam and Eve. I especially liked it as it came from Adam and doesn’t include Eve’s perspective on it. This allowed for me to create Eve’s response organically without having to mold the words, rather just simple creation. Overall this allowed for me to see the words of Milton in a different perspective and made me truly appreciate the opportunity to see multiple perspectives in writing.