9th Grade
Religious Text
620L
An Excerpt From The Story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4
Unknown
1973
Passage Summary:
“The Story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4” explores the story of mankind’s first murder, in which Cain kills his brother after the Lord is more pleased with Abel’s offering than his.
When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after students have read chapter 6, to help them focus on the themes of sibling rivalry and hatred. Ask students to compare the sibling rivalries within the two texts – why do Cain and Louise both resent their siblings? Why do they want to hurt them? Ask students to discuss why they think Louise often compares herself to biblical characters. Alternatively, you may choose to introduce this text after students have read chapter 14, and have them use the pairing to discuss why the girls’ grandmother compares Louise and Caroline to the biblical twin brothers Esau and Jacob.