Mythology

As time passes, the stories we tell evolve even though their overall message remains the same. This is true for Genesis, specifically the story of Adam and Eve. In the original myth, Genesis tells the story of creation, the temptation, and the fall of man. The Lion Graphic Bible, written in 2002, chooses to briefly mention creation and focus mainly on temptation and the role of the serpent. In this myth, the serpent is developed into a malicious animal that suggests and pressure Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. R. Crumb’s Genesis, written in 2009, focuses mainly on the creation and ends chapter 2 without even mentioning the temptation. In all three cases, the myth is told differently and the authors choose to focus on different pieces of the same story.  

After reading these three depictions of the same myth, it is obvious that through the re-telling of stories, individuals choose to get rid of old elements or add new elements. For example, in contemporary telling of the temptation, an apple is typically referred to as the forbidden fruit. However, the fruit isn’t an apple in the original Genesis or the two comics we read. People change stories to make them more relatable to the modern reader. An example of this is the tale of Rapunzel. In the Brothers Grimm version, Rapunzel is a damsel in distress who patiently waits for a prince to rescue her from her tower. The latest version, trying to appeal to a feminist and more liberal audience, depicts Rapunzel as an adventurous and heroic character. The changing nature of mythology is reflective of the changing attitudes in our society.