Brother Stories from the Holy Bible Essay

Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain is the eldest and Abel is the youngest. Cain is described as the tiller of the ground whereas Abel is the keeper of sheep. Both men know that God requires an offering, but the offering of Cain is quite different from that of Abel. Abel fears God, and because of this he offers the best of his flock to the Lord. He kills the animal and makes a sacrifice of blood. Abel understands that the shedding of innocent blood for the forgiveness of sin is acceptable. He also knows that this action of his is representative of surrendering his heart to God. By contrast, Cain brings what he has grown and gathered from the earth. In a way, a foolish man would think

Throughout the many stories of Genesis, sibling rivalry is a consistent theme. In both the story of Cain and Abel, as well as the story of Jacob and Esau, we see two brothers who compete against one another, one in each pair utilizing deceitful tactics to get what they desire. Specifically, in the 4th chapter of Genesis, we are faced with an interesting question. Does God designate one be the protector of those whom share our blood, or should we be fending for our own better interest? Furthermore, we may ask what it means to be one’s “brother’s keeper” as when Cain asks God if this is his duty (Genesis 4:10). It seems imperative to decide whether he is asking this in a sarcastic manor, or simply wants to know if this was a designated responsibility

The Rich Brother by Tobias Wolff is about two brothers who are polar opposite in appearance and perception. The story alluded to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, which was the outline of the story. The story poses the question of who is the rich brother by showing both Donald and Pete in ways that the reader could perceive them as wealthy. The true rich brother comes down to a personal meaning of wealth, but based on the use of biblical allusion, most will side with Donald. Due to the allusion, the reader can infer that Donald was the rich brother, because he was symbolic of Abel who was murdered by his brother. It’s more beneficial to be rich in optimism and happiness, and this theme was expressed throughout the story by its use of biblical

The bond between brothers begins at birth and should grow strong enough to withstand any challenge. An older brother is meant to look out for his younger brother, encourage him, fight for him and comfort him. An older brother should build forts, protect his younger brother and remain a friend for life. But, what happens when real life comes between this brotherly bond? In both James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” and Liam O’Flaherty’s “The Sniper,” those seemingly unbreakable brotherly bonds disappear as they are broken by the brother entrusted to maintain it.

" And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, ' Where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, ' I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?' And he said, ' What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.' And Cain said unto the Lord, ' My punishment is greater

In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Adam’s son Cal reflects the character of Cain in the Bible. Cain is born to Adam and Eve. When Cain and Abel present gifts to God, God favors Abel’s gift. Cain grows jealous and kills his brother out of jealousy. Though similar to Cain, John Steinbeck uses the choices Cal makes to contrast his character to Cain in the Bible and to demonstrate that, despite being evil, people can choose their course in life.

“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is a short story that discusses several themes that allude to and reflect the Bible. The relationship between the narrator and his brother, Sonny, clearly mimics the dynamic between Cain and Abel. Sonny’s drug abuse and imprisonment leave his brother feeling responsible after the death of their mother. As tension grows between them, the narrator turns against his brother, similarly to Cain. However, the narrator eventually fulfills the role of his brother’s keeper and helps him get back on his feet.

The first allusion made to the story of Cain and Abel is through Charles and Adam’s relationship. Charles represents Cain. He is portrayed as evil, manipulative, and jealous. He tries to buy the love of his father and becomes competitive with Adam when he discovers that Cyrus loves him more.

Cain and Abel (4:1-16): Both brothers gave God an offering to please Him. But God didn’t care for Cain’s offering and favored Abel’s instead. Because Cain had a hard time controlling his anger, he went out and killed his brother out of sheer jealousy and rage. When he returned, he lied to God and said that he had no idea where his brother could have gone. God was very upset and cursed Cain to be a helpless wanderer and for his crops to be fruitless for the rest of his life.

“Now Cain said to his brother Able, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Able and killed him (Genesis 4:8)”

In addition, in the story of “Cain and Abel”, Cain, the son of Adam and Eve,

“Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk” (Susan Scarf Merrell). Merrell, an American author and a creative writing and literature teacher at Stony Brook Southampton, states that since the early days of your youth to the end of our story our siblings are there throughout our whole journey. Life is similar to a play; parents pass away during the first half; while one’s children come in during the second half; but siblings are there throughout both acts. Tobias Wolff’s, The Rich Brother, portrays the relationship between two brothers that are complete opposites; yet they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else will ever be able. The Rich Brother describes a complex sibling relationship that is fairly common in today’s society; Tobias Wolff makes use of pathos by incorporating real life sibling abuse; and ethos in his own life and credentials.

It is in the Book of Genesis “The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” (Genesis 15-16). Cain’s immediate feelings are of anger and discouragement. Cain loves God the same as Abel does, but he does not receive the same gratification back from God as Abel did. This is a natural reaction to being rejected that everyone can relate to. Cain is hurt and feels like he is not loved as much as Abel which Cain intensifies and blows out of proportion. Cain let the jealously of Abel’s love overtake him and leads him to committing a mortal sin. He is turned over by mixed emotions in himself and decides to kill is brother because he sees no other way to deal with the feelings he is having. By killing Abel, Cain does not fix any problem, he in fact creates another one. Cain is punished by God because God sees no excuse in Cain’s evil actions and calls Cain to responsiblilty for himself and for his

My brothers are an important role of my life. They both contribute in my education, inspiring me to pursue my studies. I adore my brothers, they both do secretive agreements behind my back to do evil little brotherly deeds to me. Although they seem to love to make my life impossible, they help me suceed in my education. When I am in need assistance of something, they are there for me. When I am full of chores or must run errands, hindering my assignments; they take over and do my

For the greater good within us, we would all like to live in a world without war, a world where competition is replaced by co-operation and individual freedom. However, this will never be; it was from the beginning of creation, that the internal violence or conflict within humankind was manifested. Genesis 4:8, stated that, “Cain killed his brother Abel