The book of Genesis establishes the archetypal narrative of the fall and, through it, develops the literary significance of a fall. In Genesis, the characters Adam and Eve are banished from paradise due to the seizure of knowledge. The fall they experience refers to their condemnation to a world in which they recognize pain and suffering, apart from their existence in the idyllic Garden of Eden. The concept of falling is rather vague and lends itself to many stories and interpretations. The idea of ​​a fall is neither new nor, in modern literature, original. The authors use the theme to explore human nature and the implications of the term itself, through changing associations in narrative and language. A fall is generally interpreted as a loss of innocence. It can represent a movement toward maturity or a gain in knowledge, and can be expressed as either detrimental or beneficial change. One such reinterpretation is Turn of the Screw by Henry James. James' fictional children come to understand their surroundings through their loss of innocence, which draws a parallel with Eve's consumption of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge as this results in advancement of knowledge and perspective enlarged. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayA logical effect of acquiring knowledge is a transition in perception. The motivation for this phenomenon and its development is expressed by Kieran Egan in The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding. Mythical understanding is an early method of understanding that relies on binary oppositions to form interpretations of the world, as an effect of the structure of language. This device is recognizable in the communications of children who are beginning to use spoken language, and this type of awareness is therefore associated with a younger demographic. As humans begin to use written language, their understanding expands to forms of thought classified by Egan as romantic, philosophical, and ironic. The main effect of these advances in understanding is the ability to think about reality in increasingly sophisticated terms. Thus, progression can be discussed in correlation with the move from innocence to experience, particularly when progression is discussed as a lack of knowledge and the resulting gain. Therefore, the meaning of the fall in The Book of Genesis and The Turn of the Screw can be viewed through Egan's theories. The account of the fall in Genesis is a mythic representation of the acquisition of knowledge characteristic of human experience and is set out in simple terms that follow the basic attributes of mythic understanding, allowing for reinterpretation. The narrative largely accommodates Egan's mythic understanding through binary oppositions. The creation of the world is based on distinct terms such as light/dark, water/earth, and male/female. It is also significant that the Tree of Knowledge is known as the tree of good and evil, a classic binary opposition. Likewise, both men have the free will to select knowledge versus blissful ignorance by eating from the Tree. In a superficial analysis, the literary purpose of binary oppositions is to create a simple world of calm and order, indicative of a paradise. This world is easily definable and easy to understand because it establishes morality and responsibility without the need to mediate between polar interpretations of reality. ThereThe human capacity to entertain ambiguity develops with knowledge, as established by Egan's characterization of mythic understanding and the subsequent evolution of thought. In Genesis, this development occurs when Eve and Adam taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and realize that they are naked, an expression of their new level of consciousness and a simplification of the process of acquiring knowledge. However, God had told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree, and because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve are condemned to exist outside of the Garden of Eden, the current state of humanity. Adam and Eve receive punishment as a direct result of eating the fruit, which allows them to gain knowledge. Thus, it is suggested that without the acquisition of knowledge, Adam and Eve would have retained the benefits of eternal life and a general absence of suffering. God's punishment communicates that conscience is harmful and detrimental to character. Yet Adam and Eve were offered the opportunity to eat from the tree of their creation, which calls into question the superficiality of binaries. After consumption of the fruit, human life becomes more complex, as the couple is exposed to elements of human existence such as the need to work, hunger and emotional turmoil. Although the fall is arguably the cause of human suffering, it is also the cause of human pleasure and happiness, when viewed in binary terms. Binary oppositions are used universally to order and understand the world. Human logic is based on oppositions because the structure of language creates discriminating categories to facilitate communication and thought. In the context of Genesis, good cannot exist without evil, pleasure cannot exist without suffering, etc. The development of complexity allows for greater understanding of the world, an inevitable result of the loss of innocence, if innocence is seen as opposed to learning and knowledge. It can therefore be argued that a loss of innocence is essential to appreciating and distinguishing reality. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James presents manipulations of abstractions and binaries to craft the story of a fall into a convoluted reality. The short story presents an intentionally subjective point of view through vague dialogue and first-person narrative. This allows for multiple interpretations of the narrative and creates an ambiguous ending that leaves the audience wondering if the governess is crazy and what role the children play in the events that occur. Although the plot is complex, there is a connection between the characters' knowledge of the symbolic ghosts and the downfall. The means by which the children gain experience are enigmatic, but the novella ends with Flora's illness and Miles' death, which allude to the detriment of knowledge. Although it is unclear whether the children fell before the governess's introduction, their experience is revealed as the plot progresses. The Turn of the Screw children are young, so the governess expects them to be naive. Throughout the novel, the children disobey and it becomes clear that they know much more than we expect. The children's use of advanced forms of understanding and communication forms a juxtaposition and conveys their abnormality to the audience. The abnormal behavior of children can be analyzed through abstractions, characteristic of mythical understanding. Understanding abstract binary concepts, such as safety/danger and obedience/disobedience, is a function of early thought processing, and so when an event or character does not follow the expected structure, it..