Did you say 'typically male' because of that lady or because you mean it?
Or perhaps both?

This entry sounds light-hearted but it makes me sad.

The old lady is probably right. Because after Adam’s blame, Eve, in desperate search for her own scapegoat, blames a snake. That is my point of view, as I said here before.

Adam was in desperate need of that figleaf, because he felt too vulnerable without it.

Scapegoating indeed

Assuming the figure on the right with black hair is Eve, not Lilith, there is something wrong with the funny picture accompanying this short momentum. Because even though you see Adams ribs, there isn’t one missing.
Talk about scapegoathing…

it's possible this woman was familiar with the ideas of rené girard, who insists that what he calls "the scapegoating mechanism" is the way Satan perpetrates himself.

@Mieke
I wonder if Adam needed a fig leaf on the backside too, another area of some vulnerability, if you ask me.

@Dries
I think so too.

God want us to sin.

PS

want=wants

Is that a serpent or a sperm between them?

An interesting reflection on original sin/Adam & Eve can be read (it requires concentration, but it's worth the effort) in Kierkegaard's "On Anxiety".

@Carlos
Now I see it too. The sperm snake is biting the happy apple and is then consumed by that delicious looking fruit, only to transform into a new baby creature. The story of creation!

It's just a cobra. You are reading too much in it, guys.

scapegoating

Dear Arnon,

Don't you think that it's really scapegoating to use my pic in your articles which you print in holand's news paper?

My name is Elizabeth, Ukraine ( Zaporozhye). You used my picture in your articles without even ever asking me about this. You mentioned some story about me but I couldn't translate it in to english and don't know the information you typed there. I would like you to explain me this fact.
Hope to hear your answer.

Carlos

Forgive me for being nosy, but does your sperm happen to be green?

Elizabeth

Perhaps you could take it to court?

Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth, I don’t believe that it’s scapegoating that the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad decided to use your picture, that is freely available online, to elucidate my article. (As you might know by the way the author doesn’t decide what illustrations or pictures are used to elucidate his articles, this decision is made by the editor at the newspaper.) If anything I would call this: advertisements for Elisabeth. (This is not meant to be a flippant answer, I’d just like to stress that no harm has been done to you.) As to the content: in the first installment of the series of articles I wrote about the phone conversation we had early December, if I’m not mistaken. I called you on your birthday, do you remember? Nevertheless I would love to invite you for dinner so I can explain my series of articles to you in person. Are you interested in traveling to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, at the end of August? By the way, my mother loves you -- of course this is based on very limited information. But isn’t love always based on limited information? I do hope that I managed to answer your questions. Feel free to contact my assistant, Johannes van der Sluis (Johannes@arnongrunberg.com) if you need more information. It is in the interest of both of us to continue this conversation in private. Kind regards, Arnon Grunberg

@dries van cann
Thanks!

Elizabeth Luneva

Is there a possibility for us to see the pictures? You made us very curious. Are they any good?

Yes, Arnon.
Now I remember you calling on my BD. We never met so I forgot about that conversation untill some body sent me a link to that article. Even if you personally didn't choose that very picture, you had my contact number, you could asked me., didn't you? Of course I have a lot pictures, on facebook and so on... that doesn't mean they are free to be used if I don't know this.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth,
My articles for “NRC Handelsblad” about my “romance tour” to Ukraine are not online. As far as I know nobody could have sent you a link tot these articles. And as I said before the illustrations and pictures are the editor’s responsibility. Nevertheless you are right, I should have contacted you about this -- my apologies for not having informed you timely about this decision by the newspaper.
Arnon
PS What's a BD?

To Elizabeth

According to copyright laws NRC needs your prior consent to publish your image. This could be an implied consent though. The NRC does need your photographer's explicit prior consent. Perhaps NRC was decent enough to pay him for his work in which case he may have licensed his rights. If not, both you and the photographer could -theoretically speaking- claim damages. Honestly though, I don't think any damage was done. Arnon wrote respectfully about you in his article and it would seem that in hindsight he is offering to pay you for your story after all. There's an interesting moral to all this which I once tried address here but the discussion was side-tracked.
By the way, be aware that quite a few people here may be wondering whether you're some smart-ass masquerading as Elizabeth. You could even be Arnon. This happens here a lot, so if you happen to be you and you find the reactions strange, it's for that reason.
If you have any further questions on rights or so, feel free to email me:
mail@aliefka.com

Dries

You might find the Islamic version of the story of Adam & Eve interesting also.

Dounia

Please, explain.

Arnon

If you want to know the whole story you'll have to look it up.
My summary: they both sinned and they were both forgiven

Please, answer my question

Dounia

What was your question?

Arnon

The very first reply to this blog

Arnon

I am sorry I asked, I didn't mean to pry! To me, you are an interesting and likeable person, that's why my curiosity got the upper hand and that's why I trespassed on your hospitality.

But now that I've graduated from the University of Love, I have to say goodbye.
My time here was double-E: entertaining and educational. So thank you!!
We might meet at a reunion some day. You'll recognize me easily: I am the young woman wearing a hijab.

If you happen to hear from David (you should know which David I am refering to) please tell him that I too am a likeable person once you get to know me.

Vriendelijke groetjes,
Dounia