Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Decimonónica
Volume
9
Issue
2
Publisher
Decimonónica
Publication Date
2012
First Page
88
Last Page
105
Abstract
The Biblical story of creation in which Adam and Eve are deceived by the serpent is recognized widely as one of the foundational stories of Western culture. The story’s importance is asserted by many scholars, including Elaine Pagels in her groundbreaking study Adam, Eve and the Serpent: “[T]he biblical creation story, like the creation stories of other cultures, communicates social and religious values and presents them as if they were universally valid” (xx). In this same study Pagels suggests that Christians have interpreted the story of “Genesis” in various ways over the centuries, finding in it important teachings about sexuality, human freedom and human nature. Emilia Pardo Bazán’s short story, “Cuento primitivo,” (1893) refashions the Biblical tale of Adam and Eve by incorporating some significant changes into the narrative. This was not a novel idea since many writers already had rewritten the story of Creation over the years, adding new layers of interpretation to this foundational story.1 In fact, it seems very likely, as Charnon-Deutsch has suggested, that Pardo Bazán wrote this story in response to Clarín’s misogynist rewriting of the “Genesis” story, “Cuento futuro,” which was published a year earlier than “Cuento primitivo” in 1892 (Story 71).2
Recommended Citation
Walter, Susan, "“After the Apple”: Female Sexuality in the Writings of Emilia Pardo Bazán" (2012). Decimonónica. Paper 191.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/decimononica/191