By: Bakingson Period 5

Paradise Lost is an epic poem by John Milton that tells the story of Satan's rebellion against God and his fall from Heaven. After being cast out, Satan plots to ruin God's creation, humans. He tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, leading both her and Adam to sin and be banished from the Garden of Eden. The poem explores themes of free will, temptation, and the consequences of disobedience.

In Paradise Lost, John Milton talks about big ideas like rebellion, free will, and authority, and when we look at it through a postmodern lens, it gets even more interesting. Postmodernism says there’s no one “right” truth, truth can be different for everyone. For example, when Adam and Eve ask, “Forbidden them to taste: Knowledge forbidden?” (Milton l. 515), they’re not just disobeying God, they’re questioning why knowledge is off-limits. They’re challenging the rules and the authority behind them. Then, Satan says, “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven” (Milton l. 263). This isn’t just rebellion, he’s saying, “I’d rather be in charge in a bad situation than follow someone else’s rules in paradise.” Looking at it this way, Paradise Lost isn’t just about good vs. evil; it’s about people questioning authority and creating their own truths.

Link to Paradise Lost- https://nerd-central.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/paradise-lost-excepts.pdf 

How does Paradise Lost relate to my Source #1-

Both Paradise Lost and Carlos Greaves’ Sure, the Velociraptors Are Still on the Loose, But That’s No Reason Not to Reopen Jurassic Park show how those in power ignore real problems to stay in control. In Paradise Lost, Satan says, “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven” (Milton l. 263), meaning he’d rather be the boss of chaos than follow the rules. In Greaves’ story, Peter Ludlow wants to reopen Jurassic Park even though deadly dinosaurs are still loose, focusing more on "fun hats" than safety. Both stories highlight how leaders downplay danger for their own gain, with Ludlow even joking, “We might as well just start getting used to them killing a few people every now and then.” It’s a funny but chilling way of showing how power figures ignore real risks to stay in charge.

Link to Source 1- https://nerdypublisher.wixsite.com/website/post/source-1?commentId=a9584a7e-7e7b-4edb-9c31-d8d489c2ca4c

Here's a link to the story- https://93c908e7-75fe-4f97-8e88-5e823fbe8c69.usrfiles.com/ugd/93c908_61abfd049c1343b1bf2b42f59a7decb9.pdf 

How can Paradise Lost and my Source #2 be connected-

Naomi Shihab Nye’s “Making a Fist” and John Milton’s Paradise Lost are a surprising duo, but both play with big ideas about survival and identity. Nye takes the simple act of making a fist and turns it into a deep symbol of strength, kind of like turning a “thumbs-up” emoji into a life lesson. Milton, similarly, makes Satan seem more like a misunderstood anti-hero than just pure evil. Both works flip the script on traditional symbols, showing that survival and identity are way more complicated than we think, and they do it with a wink, making us confused and laugh at life’s contradictions.

Link to Source 2- https://nerdypublisher.wixsite.com/website/post/read-between-the-lines?commentId=67f726a8-e4c1-4dbe-bf4d-dfac6ab233c6 

Link to the poem- https://static.wixstatic.com/media/93c908_53761d3dd3cd4bbbbb7c530854f28e49~mv2.jpg 

Are Paradise Lost and source #3 similar-

Both the“Humility” music video by Gorillaz and Paradise Lost mix reality with fantasy and flip traditional ideas. In the video, the animated 2-D skates through Venice Beach like it's normal, just like Milton mixes angels and Satan with the real world in Paradise Lost. Both use pastiche, with “Humility” blending animation, pop culture, and real-life figures like Jack Black, while Paradise Lost mixes mythology with Christian themes. They both trick us with appearances, “Humility” sounds upbeat but is about isolation, while Paradise Lost makes Satan seem heroic, only to reveal it’s about pride.

Link to source 3- https://nerdypublisher.wixsite.com/website/post/10-famous-authors-on-their-favorite-books-1?commentId=132f5d31-01f9-4407-b4d2-529340cd3f96 

Link to the music video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5yFcdPAGv0&t=194s 

In conclusion, Paradise Lost by John Milton is more than just a story about good versus evil, it's about questioning authority and the consequences of defying it. Looking at the poem through a postmodern lens helps us see how themes of rebellion and power play out in different ways, not just in Milton’s work, but also in stories like Jurassic Park, “Making a Fist,” and Humility by Gorillaz. These works show how questioning authority and making our own choices can lead to both strength and destruction. Ultimately, they remind us that sometimes survival and identity are shaped not by following rules, but by challenging them.