Joel Alex, Period 6, 1/31/23

 Joel Alex, Period 6, 01/31/2023

Modern Mythology 2023

Creativity & Fiction

• Craft a piece of FAN fiction related to any of the reading we’ve done in class that addresses one or more of the following: 

• Literary elements (i.e. structure, tone, diction, mood, irony, and figurative language) to craft a narrative.

• Structural features of drama (stage directions, character attributions/tags, dialogue, monologues, and/or soliloquies) to craft a script.

• Multidimensional characters to develop themes and create socio-political metaphors.

Cain and Abel

When Cain presented his offspring to God, he did it with ulterior motives by not giving his very best to God. Cain often heard his father, Adam, talking to God. He often hoped to have the same level of relationship with God. Cain knew that if he could obtain such a connection that he could possess something his brother Abel didn’t have, God’s blessing.

On the day of Cain’s birth, Eve received a vision from God that their newborn son would kill their next, future offspring. As a result, Adam and Eve always kept their firstborn son in close watch, especially around his brother, Abel. They would often be purposefully kept apart. All throughout his life, Cain felt strong resentment towards his parents since he felt that he wasn’t trusted and was treated as a second-class citizen among his own family. He was an outcast and hoped that the display of his offerings to God would indicate to both his parents that he was not a dangerous person. He proudly told his intentions to Adam and Eve one day in the midst of doing household chores.

After completing his daily household chores, he went into the fields to find materials in order to build an altar. He gathered some stones and wood. Cain proceeded to build up the materials into a well secured mount. The last step is to place something on top of the altar to sacrifice to God. However, he didn’t know what to sacrifice and went to Adam for advice.

Adam instructed his eldest son to sacrifice a lamb. Cain took this advice to heart. However, there was a problem. Cain did not own any lambs so he had to go to Abel in order to ask for some of his flock. Abel refused the request as he believed that a proper sacrifice to God should be something of a person’s own valuables and not someone else's. Abel further inquired upon his brother’s situation. Abel proceeded to ask his brother why he wouldn’t give his fruits to God. Cain informed him that his crops were not even sweet enough to even please his parents. If it couldn’t even satisfy mere mortals, how could it satisfy God? With these words, Cain eventually left his brother in an angry mood.

A few days later, Abel began to also consider what to present to God as an offspring. Abel decided that a few of his youngest lambs should be sacrificed, as a thanks for the growth of his herd. One early morning, Abel picked the very best of his herd and tied them to the altar. He used a stone to kill the lambs and put the corpses on the top of the previously made altar. Cain witnessed these things and hatred grew towards his brother. “At first, he didn't give me even one of his lambs. Then he decides to steal my idea of gaining God’s favor through sacrifices.” As he was deep in thought, a powerful burst of lightning struck onto Abel’s altar. All of Abel’s sacrifice disappeared. There was not even a single trace of blood from the slaughtered lamb. Cain bowed down to the soil and praised God. Then, he excitedly ran to his parents to tell them about what had happened. Adam and Eve saw this as a sign of God’s acceptance.

Cain keenly observed all of these events. He fell to the floor in anguish. A voice entered his thoughts. “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Cain quickly raised his head to find the source of the voice. He couldn’t find it. He thought that the voice was Abel. Later, Abel critized his brother for his lack of faith in God’s judgment.

Cain asked Abel for help in searching for a proper sacrifice so that he can also receive a blessing from God. While searching, Cain felt exhausted and started feeling dizzy from his growing distress. Not thinking straight, Cain took a rock and jumped upon his brother. He bashed the rock multiple times against Abel’s forehead until he became a motionless figure.

Cain couldn’t believe what he had done. His brother’s dead and disfigured face was ingrained into his head. Cain had trouble breathing and temporarily fell to the ground beside his brother. He eventually regained consciousness and knew that he couldn't let God know what he had done. Cain had planned to return home and tell his parents that wild animals had killed Abel and the blood on his garments was from him trying to protect Abel. He knew that Adam and Eve were unlikely to believe his words, due to the prophecy. Still, he had to try.

Cain slowly started to walk back home like nothing had happened, fleeing the wrath of God. He knew that he allowed his jealousy, quick temper, and poor decisions to dictate his life. Cain knew that he was a failure in every definition of the word.

Suddenly, a voice shouted “Where is your brother Abel?” At that moment, Cain became aware of who spoke to him after he observed Abel’s offering. It is Abel. But Abel is dead?! Where is Abel? Is he not lying dead in the ground a few miles south? Didn’t I bury him so that God would not be able to find him and I can escape my fate. It is not Abel and there is no one for miles. He quickly came to the terrifying realization that it was God.

He responded in a terrified tone, filled with pain. “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord responded, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” God is omnipotent. He knew everything that had happened and exactly the details behind Abel’s death. A few minutes after Abel’s murder and Cain’s departure, God had removed Abel’s buried body from the ground.

God proceeded to explain Cain’s punishment. Cain will not be able to return home to his parents and will forever wander the wilderness searching desperately for Abel’s body. He will never find it anywhere as God removed it from the Earth. He will continue to search until his last days. God told Cain that during the last days of his life, someone will kill him the same way that he had killed Abel. After Cain’s death, God told him that all his descendants would be cursed and anyone who finds Cain’s dead body will also be cursed. With these declarations, God sent Cain away as a “a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

Cain was never seen or heard again.

God later blessed Adam and Eve with two children, as a way to replace both Abel and Cain.