Adam and Newt: both overwhelmed by a woman's beauty

  When Newt gets into an accident in Good Omens, he is brought to Jasmine cottage where he wakes up to Anathema watching over him. As the two of them interact, Newt refers to her beauty and the fact that she’s a woman multiple times. He tells the reader of her physical features and scent of perfume (p.210;217) As Newt listens to Anathema about the prophecies, he begins to wonder if any of this is real, and how Agnes Nutter could have predicted these events. The only thing he seemed sure of was that he “was in a room with a very attractive woman” and “I short, whatever Newt was now thinking with, it wasn’t his brain.” (p.228)

This idea that he wasn’t thinking with his brain reminded me of Adam in Paradise Lost. Over and Over again, the reader sees Adam in awe of Eve’s beauty, and much like Newt, not thinking with his brain. One instance occurs as Raphael visits. Adam proclaims to Raphael:

Her loveliness so absolute she seems

And In herself complete so well to know

Her own that what she wills to do or say

Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, est.

All higher knowledge in her presence falls

Degraded. Wisdom in discurse with her

Loses discount’nanced and like folly show

Authority and Reason on her wait. (8. 547-54)

Both Newt and Adam seem to disregard their orders, as they become overwhelmed by the beauty of these women. For Newt, he was supposed to be a witchhunter. Fr him to wake up in a witch’s house, and sit down with her, only to be mesmerized by the physical appearance of Anathema. For Adam, he becomes so overwhelmed by Eve’s appearance that it actually brings upon his fall. Adam is so obsessed with Eve that he is willing to eat the fruit because “all higher knowledge in her presence falls”(8.551)Adam disobeys God’s rules, because he loses all ability to reason when Eve is around him.

  I know how Adam ends up, Eve’s beauty still an overwhelming force after the fall. Adam, after being upset, still praises Eve’s beauty. I’m not sure how Newt ends up, but I think it will be interesting to see if he disobeys because of Anathema’s beauty.

 

Rebecca R.