Questions for Exodus and Genesis

1. What are the roles of men and women in Exodus, Genesis, Gilgamesh, and Odyssey?
Genesis: creation story..men and women were created
women & men at first were equal until the Eve ate from the tree of life
women: started to be the household figure and childbearer
men: work outside and feed the family

Exodus:
women- continuously the household figure
men- worker/leader/builder
Jospeh-betrayed by brothers becomes a leader later in Exodus
Moses-saves the his family and the animals from flood (builder)

Gilgamesh:
women- in the story was portrayed as a temptress so making it look like this the role of women
men- warrior and fighter

Odyssey:
women- goddesses, temptress, warrior
men- warrior

2. Identify the archetypes: the mother figure, the "Eve" character, and the wholesome young women character?
the mother figure is shown in Exodus as Moses's wife. She takes care of all the household businesses within the boat. 
the "Eve" character is shown in Odyssey as the temptress character who tried to seduce/lure Odysseus from going back throughout his journey. 
Wholesome young women character is the women in Genesis.

3. What are the roles of the male characters? How does it differ from the female roles?
male characters are always the ones working and fighting compared to female roles they are 
always the ones in the house feeding the family. Female characters' roles are seen in 
some of the stories as temptress or warrior.


4. What do these character's roles say about the way women are viewed in this time period? 
Has it changed now in the way women are viewed?

women viewed in this time period were being portrayed as household workers/motherly figure or as temptresses. 
Not much has changed...still today women are viewed as the motherly figure who works as home and 
feeds children and their husbands.Women are still free to go work outside but there are still many women like this today in society. 


5. Think of one piece of popular literature, one movie, and one television show, and give one example of 
archetypes presented in the media and dissect the message it sends about roles.

Great Gatsby:
men are viewed as people making the money
women are seen as a secondary character and is seen as a figure that from their beauty seduces 
the male characters.

Batman:
men viewed as the hero and fighter
women viewed as the seducer (Cat women) or the weak character that must be saved

Sex and the City:

women based t.v. show and are seen as more freedom compared to the past however are still like temptresses.
men are still workers but still are the ones that are weak when with women.