Assignment 2

The Garden of Eden relates to the coming-of-age process in the way that the eyes of the innocent were suddenly opened, because Eve were curious and selfishness took over once she realized she could have all the knowledge that God did. The coming-of-age process is about an individual seeking independence and wanting to learn for themselves what is right and wrong- in other words, gaining maturity. The innocence and closeness of Adam and Eve with God were lost because they wanted to do things their own way and tried to gain wisdom by taking a step away and following their own desires. People going through the coming-of-age process want to leave what they know to set their own path and perhaps even gain wisdom and knowledge from experiencing what life has to offer on their own. Their eyes are opened to right and wrong as Eve's and Adam's were; Eve and Adam, once their eyes were opened, were ashamed that they didn't have anything covering them, and so innocence was lost. During the coming-of-age phase, innocence is lost as well.