A 3 page paper that discusses this short story in relation to Genesis 2:19-20. The writer focuses on power, naming and gender and the power of language. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: MM12_PGunnm.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Language allows man to categorize by naming things but those things might not have equal status. Analysis Although she is not identified, the woman in the story is Eve
except that the time is obviously generations after the events in Genesis 2:19-20 took place. In this story, Babel is mentioned, which comes well after creation. Also, Le Guin refers
to, "the councils of elderly females . . . " Eve decides the names Adam gave to all the animals and beasts do not suit them and, in fact,
the names create barriers between the animals and between the animals and her. After she has unnamed all the animals and beasts, Eve says, "They seemed far closer than when
their names had stood between myself and them like a clear barrier." Of course, without names, one cannot tell the hunted from the hunter. This is part of the fear
the animals and Eve may share. The issue of power is very clear in this story because it relates directly to Genesis 2:19-20. God is the Creator and as
such, He has authority over all. But, after God created beasts and birds, "He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the
man called each living creature, that was its name" (Genesis 2:19). Adam gave names to all of them "But, for Adam no suitable helper was found" (Genesis 2:20). God transfers
the authority, i.e., the power, to name creatures to Adam. That places Adam in a superior position. Only one human was on the earth - Adam, a man. Eve is
not created until after Adam names all the creatures. In the next few verses (Genesis 2:21-23), we learn that God makes a helper for Adam from one of his bones