Built Women in Men’s Paradises: A Critical Analysis of the Garden of Eden Narrative and Alex Garland’s Ex Machina

Bringing the biblical story of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3) into conversation with Alex Garland’s 2014 film Ex Machina, this paper examines and compares the male-scribed nature of paradise stories that describe the "building" of woman-creatures. From ancient Judean scribes to modern fi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chapman, Cynthia R. 1964- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: University of Saskatchewan 2022
In: Journal of religion and popular culture
Year: 2022, Volume: 34, Issue: 3, Pages: 147-171
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Eve / Creation account (Genesis) / Ex machina (Film) / Woman / Creation / Literalness / Patriarchate / Technology
IxTheo Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
CD Christianity and Culture
HB Old Testament
NBD Doctrine of Creation
ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies
Further subjects:B Garden of Eden
B Alex Garland
B Eve
B Artificial Intelligence
B Ex Machina
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Bringing the biblical story of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3) into conversation with Alex Garland’s 2014 film Ex Machina, this paper examines and compares the male-scribed nature of paradise stories that describe the "building" of woman-creatures. From ancient Judean scribes to modern film-makers and computer coders, male-guarded forms of literacy enabled and continue to enable storytelling and world-building. A comparison of the accounts of the creation of Eve of the Garden with Ava of Ex Machina highlights that male control over literacy more generally and creation accounts more specifically yields diminished woman-creatures designed to serve the specific needs of men in male-imagined paradise settings. Although separated by millennia, ancient Judean scribes and modern computer programmers have imagined and built woman-creatures with a limited set of functions and programmed routines that include providing help, serving as a companion, and heterosexual receptivity.
ISSN:1703-289X
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture