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The Western Canon Mailing List
Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr.
Activation Date: March 8, 1997
Current Date:  June 3, 1997
Current Membership: 59
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Wanted to send a few parting comments on Paradise Lost...

1) The character of God.
The further I got in the poem, the more God started to 
chap me.  At first it was the fanatical concern over obedience, even when no 
temptations were near.  Then the "testing" aspect of God irritated me.  
One examples is God feeling Adam had done what he was supposed to after 
his creation, therefore he deserved companionship.  I now view God's 
elevation of the Son was meant as a test of the angels, Lucifer in 
particular.  I think what irritated me the most was what kind of God was 
Milton trying to show us?

Then I ran across these lines and Milton's intent cleared up some:  "And 
what is faith, love, virtue unassayed/Alone, without exterior help 
sustained?"  (IX, 335-36)  In a quick glance through Milton's 
Areopagitica, these lines helped clarify his outlook even more:

     "And perhaps this is that doom which Adam fell into of knowing good 
and evil--that is to say, of knowing good by evil.  As therefore the 
state of man now is; what wisdom can there be to choose, what continence 
to forbear, without the knowledge of evil?  He that can apprehend and 
consider vice with all her baits and seeming pleasures, and yet abstain, 
and yet distinguish, and yet prefer that which is truly better, he is 
the true warfaring Christian.  I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered 
virtue unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and seeks her 
adversary, but slinks out of the race, where that immortal garland is to 
be run for, not without dust and heat.  Assuredly we bring not innocence 
into the world, we bring impurity much rather; that which purifies us is 
trial, and trial is by what is contrary."

If Milton feels that untested goodness is not truly good, then God would 
have to provide tests in order for people/characters to prove 
theirselves.  (I'm not saying I buy this, but it helps tremendously in 
explaining Milton's portrayal of God)

2) Paul, I agree with your argument about a possible flaw in the book.  
I could find nothing giving rise to the "rumor" about the creation of 
man.  While not out of the question of it happening, I could find no 
support or hint that God passed on this info.

3) Favorite parts of the poem:
Book IX - the temptation and the fall - wow!
Book IV - Satan visits earth, more of his inner dialogue, and his 
reaction to the new creation
Books I & II - introduction to Satan, Pandemonium, the debate, Sin, 
Death, and Chaos
Apparently, I'm another sucker who feels Satan is the "fun" character of 
the poem.

4) Would love to hear from others their thoughts on whether or not 
Milton justified "the ways of God to men."  I think he did a very good 
job of explaining his theology.  But I'm still left with questions on my 
relationship to Milton's God, which may just mean I don't buy his brand 
of Christianity.  I am impressed with his audacity to even attempt such 
an outing, though.  This has been a truly enjoyable read.  Is it 
inappropriate to thank a dead white European author?

Dwight
dwiggreen@aol.com


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