Prompt: What are the major differences or similarities between the ethos of the creation story or stories you are familiar with and the story King tells in The Truth About Stories?
I grew up in a Catholic household and I use to go to church every Sunday from a very young age. Although I decided to stop going when I turned about 12, I am still very familiar with the story Adam and Eve for the creation story because I used to attend religious classes to learn about the bible and from then I was exposed to it at a very young age. After reading the story of Charm King tells in the Truth about stories, although the narrative itself seems different, there are also some similarities between the ethos of the story of Charm and Adam and Eve in the bible. When we look at creation stories from different culture, we can tell what each culture deems to be important and what their core belief is.
Similarities
First of all, both of the stories begin with water. Water could represent an important symbol in both of the creation story as it is what was first created. After creation of water, animals and humans are created. In the Genesis story, God creates animals to fill the earth as well as the first humans Adam and eve. In the story of Charm, the twins create humans and animals and wonder if they will get along. The animals have a role in both the stories as the snake in the Genesis story talks to Eve to break the one and only rule in the Garden of Eden and the moose and sea creatures interact with Charm from beginning to end.
The use of dichotomies is also evident in both stories. God in Genesis creates heaven and hell, night and day, and man and woman. The twins born of Charm in The Earth Diver creates summer and winter, roses and thorns, sunshine and shadows and man and woman.
Differences
The major differences between the two stories are that In the Genesis, God creates the earth himself. He is the powerful creator who has existed before everything else. In The Earth Diver, the water creatures are the ones to labour and build Charm a piece of land which eventually transformed by her twin children. It is very clear that Charm is not as powerful and authoritative as the God in the Genesis. Additionally, in the Genesis, the readers are taught to distinguish right from wrong and good and evil. Adam and Eve are given a rule to follow and when they break the rule, they are punished for it. In The Earth Diver, there is no right or wrong, good or bad but is about cooperation. The creation process is interconnected and shared through teamwork of Charm, her twins and all the animals in the kingdom.
Works Cited
Adam And Eve In The Garden Of Eden – Bible Story Verses & Summary.” Bible Study Tools. N. p., 2019. Web. 09 Mar. 2019.
Water. Bible Study Tools. N. P.,2019 Web. 09 Mar. 2019
Hi Cathy,
Really captivating thoughts especially the parts on dichotomies! What I find most interesting about King is that he specifically targets Christianity as opposed to calling the Judea-Christian rules, which they indeed are. For example, in Green Grass, Running Water, the term “Christian rules” appear often throughout the creation stories context. The one that struck me the most was in regards to procreation was when Noah told Changing Woman that having chilled and getting married are the Christian rules, however in the Christianity there are moment where being fruitful is argued. For example priest cannot marry or procreate. On the contrary, this is the most highly regarded ‘mitzvah’ in the Jewish tradition, and everyone is supposed to go through all lengths in order to have a child.
I think this relates to the dichotomies that King is creating as not only is he purposefully contrasting Indigenous and Judea-Christian views, however I think he is also unknowingly creating many contrast between the two Abrahamic religions but highlighting certain parts of the new and old testament that have different dichotomies within the differing religions.
Sandra
Hi Sandra, Thank you for your reply! I did not think about the contrast between the two Abrahamic religions but also highlighting certain parts of the new and old testaments that have different dichotomies within the differing religions. I agree that within the one religion, there are many different ways and how people perceive it.