Bible Story

The similarities between the story of Eve and the Garden of Eden and The Word for World if Forest are remarkable. Before interaction with the Terrans, the Athsheans lived a peaceful life. None of them have even dreamed of war and murder. It is after being shown the horrible actions of the Terrans that Selver begins to know these dark thoughts, which spiraled into their first war. This is reminiscent of the snake corrupting Eve. Even after dealing with the Terrans, Selver worries that this may be the seed of evil that takes hold of his people, ruining their peaceful lives. He worries that the Athsheans will begin to dream of death and murder more often. When Adam and Eve are banished from Eden, their original sin does not go away; it sticks with humanity. Although the bashing of colonialism is nothing novel, the biblical references gives this novel a new twist. The application of the original sin implies that the harmful effects of colonialism cannot be remedied simply; the effects are long term. Mere actions and monetary gifts cannot mend the wounds; like what many religions believe, humanity can only be saved by sincerely accepting their actions as mistakes.