Difficulty: Introductory | Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with the Book of Genesis (chapters 1 through 6). No prior theology coursework needed.
This topic sits at the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary social criticism, a common pairing in English Composition courses that ask students to draw parallels between classical texts and modern issues. The essay under study uses the Genesis creation and flood narratives as a lens for examining societal violence, racial injustice, and reform movements in the United States. You should already be comfortable with close reading and basic essay structure (thesis, evidence, analysis). If the Genesis text itself is unfamiliar, a quick read of Genesis chapters 1 through 6 will give you enough context to follow everything here.
An English Composition essay argues that the flaws leading God to flood the earth in Genesis (disobedience, violence, corruption) have clear parallels in modern society, particularly racial injustice and systemic violence. The key difference: modern humans recognise their imperfections and pursue reform (e.g. the Black Lives Matter movement), whereas the pre-flood world was beyond self-correction. The flood itself is read as a metaphor for sweeping societal reform.
Pre-flood world
The state of human civilisation before God sent the great flood in Genesis 6 through 7. Characterised by unchecked wickedness, violence, and disobedience to God's commands.
In simple terms, this is the "before" snapshot: humanity at its worst, with no interest in fixing itself.
The Fall (Genesis 2 through 3)
Adam and Eve's disobedience in eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which introduced sin, shame, and divine mistrust into the world.
Think of it as the original breach of trust: the moment the relationship between humanity and God broke down.
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)
The first murder in the biblical narrative. Cain kills his brother Abel out of jealousy after God favours Abel's offering. Represents the escalation from disobedience to outright violence.
In simple terms, this is the Genesis story's way of showing how quickly things went from bad to worse.
The Great Flood (Genesis 6 through 7)
God's decision to destroy nearly all life on earth through a catastrophic flood, sparing only Noah, his family, and pairs of animals. Framed as a total reset of a corrupted world.
Think of it as the ultimate "start over" button pressed on a society beyond repair.
Biblical parallelism (literary device)
The technique of drawing structural or thematic correspondences between events in a biblical text and events in another context (here, modern society). A staple of comparative essay writing in English Composition.
In simple terms, it means finding patterns that repeat across different times and settings.
Societal reform
Organised efforts to correct systemic flaws in a society, such as injustice, inequality, or violence. In this essay, the Black Lives Matter movement is presented as a modern parallel to God's flood: both aim to rid the world of deep-rooted corruption.
Think of it as the human version of what the flood did, just without the total destruction.
God creates the world with peace and prosperity as the intended state
Key contrasts built into creation: good and evil, light and dark, land and water
Light and dark created in equal measure, symbolising balance and intended equality
Adam and Eve placed in the Garden of Eden with one clear prohibition: do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16)
Adam and Eve disobey God's command and eat from the forbidden tree
This act breaks the trust between humanity and God
Marks the transition from a world "filled with potential" to one marked by "hate and violence"
Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4:25), escalating disobedience into the first act of murder
Driven by jealousy and rejection
Establishes a pattern: once trust with God is broken, human violence follows
God judges the entire pre-flood world as irredeemably corrupt
"Bring[ing] a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life" (Genesis 6:17)
The flood is not targeted punishment but wholesale destruction and reset
Only Noah and his family are spared, representing the possibility of a fresh start
The pre-flood humans were "oblivious to their imperfections" and made no effort to self-correct
The essay draws a direct line between Genesis violence and modern racial injustice in the United States
Specific parallel: Cain killing Abel mapped onto the killing of George Floyd by officer Chauvin
Both acts described as unjust killings driven by hate or disregard for authority
Both trigger broader consequences (the flood narrative; the Black Lives Matter movement)
The light/dark contrast in Genesis reinterpreted as a racial metaphor: white versus black in modern society, where equality has not been achieved
The Black Lives Matter movement framed as a modern equivalent of the flood
Goal: eliminate systemic hate and violence
Replace it with a society that is "loving and accepting of all people"
Pre-flood humans: unaware of their flaws, incapable of reform
Modern humans: recognise imperfections and can act on them
Example given: climate change. Humans caused environmental damage through carbon emissions, then began correcting course once they understood the consequences
Reform today operates on a "smaller scale" because many people already "possess positive qualities"
The essay's central argument: the same patterns of corruption exist, but modern society has tools (awareness, movements, collective action) that the pre-flood world lacked
Students often think the essay argues that modern society is just as corrupt as the pre-flood world. It does not. The central claim is that while the same patterns exist, modern humans have the self-awareness to pursue reform.
Students sometimes confuse the essay's use of the light/dark contrast with a theological point about good and evil. The essay reinterprets light/dark as a racial metaphor (white versus black), not a moral one.
It is a common mistake to read the flood comparison literally, as if the essay is endorsing mass destruction. The flood is used as a metaphor for sweeping reform, not as a model to follow.
Students occasionally treat the Cain/Abel and Chauvin/Floyd parallel as a one-to-one equivalence. The essay uses it as a structural parallel (unjust killing and its consequences), not a claim that the two events are identical in every respect.
⚠️ Know the specific Genesis citations used in the essay: Genesis 2:16 (the prohibition), Genesis 4:25 (Cain killing Abel), Genesis 6:17 (God's announcement of the flood). These are likely to appear in short-answer or identification questions.
⚠️ Be able to explain the essay's central contrast: pre-flood humans lacked self-awareness; modern humans can recognise flaws and pursue change. This is the thesis.
⚠️ Understand the essay's use of metaphor and parallelism as rhetorical strategies. An exam question might ask you to identify and evaluate the strength of the parallels drawn (e.g. flood as reform, Cain/Abel as Chauvin/Floyd).
⚠️ The climate change example is a secondary argument used to support the claim that modern humans are capable of self-correction. Do not overlook it; it demonstrates the essay's range of evidence beyond the biblical text.
True or False: The essay argues that modern society is equally as corrupt as the pre-flood world. (False. It argues that the same patterns exist but modern humans have the capacity for self-correction.)
Fill in the blank: Adam and Eve's disobedience in eating from the tree of ______ introduced sin and mistrust into the world. (the knowledge of good and evil)
True or False: The essay uses the flood as a literal model for how society should be reformed. (False. The flood is a metaphor for sweeping societal reform.)
Fill in the blank: The essay parallels Cain killing Abel with officer Chauvin killing ______. (George Floyd)
True or False: The climate change example is used to show that modern humans can recognise mistakes and change course. (True.)
Q: What is the essay's central thesis about the relationship between Genesis and modern society?
A: The essay argues that the same patterns of corruption, violence, and injustice found in the pre-flood world of Genesis exist in modern society. The critical difference is that modern humans possess self-awareness and the capacity for reform, whereas pre-flood humanity did not.
Q: How does the essay use the story of Cain and Abel as a parallel to modern events?
A: It draws a structural parallel between Cain's unjust killing of Abel (Genesis 4:25) and officer Chauvin's killing of George Floyd. Both are presented as acts of unjust violence driven by hate or disregard for moral authority, and both trigger broader consequences for society.
Q: What rhetorical function does the light/dark contrast from Genesis serve in the essay?
A: The essay reinterprets the Genesis light/dark binary as a racial metaphor for the white/black divide in modern society. It argues that while God created light and dark in equal measure, racial equality has not been achieved in contemporary America.
Q: Why does the essay compare the Great Flood to the Black Lives Matter movement?
A: Both are framed as attempts at wholesale reform. The flood destroyed a corrupt world to allow a fresh start; the Black Lives Matter movement seeks to dismantle systemic hate and violence and replace them with an inclusive society. The comparison is metaphorical, not literal.
Q: What role does the climate change example play in the essay's argument?
A: It serves as secondary evidence for the claim that modern humans can recognise their mistakes and take corrective action. Humans caused environmental damage through carbon emissions, then began addressing the problem once its effects became clear. This capacity for self-correction is what distinguishes modern society from the pre-flood world.
This material connects directly to rhetorical analysis and persuasive writing, since the essay's entire structure rests on drawing parallels and using biblical narrative as evidence for a contemporary argument. If your course covers logical fallacies, consider whether the analogies here (flood as reform, Cain as Chauvin) hold up under scrutiny or risk false equivalence.
It also ties into any unit on social justice literature or protest rhetoric. The framing of a social movement as a cleansing force echoes a long tradition in American political writing, from abolitionist rhetoric through the civil rights era to the present.
If your course touches on environmental ethics or stewardship, the climate change passage is a useful bridge: it shows how the same essay can draw on both biblical and scientific frameworks to support a single thesis about human self-correction.
Genesis, Book of Genesis, creation narrative, Adam and Eve, the Fall, Garden of Eden, tree of knowledge, Cain and Abel, the Great Flood, Noah's Ark, pre-flood world, Genesis 2:16, Genesis 4:25, Genesis 6:17, biblical parallelism, comparative essay, English Composition, rhetorical analysis, societal reform, Black Lives Matter, BLM, racial injustice, systemic violence, George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, climate change and morality, self-awareness and reform, Michigan State University, MSU English