I'm going to write about women in the Bible--Carolyn's idea.  So I may as well start with Eve.  She was named by Adam, and called "The mother of all living."

She had an arranged marriage.  Arranged by God.  And to top that off, her assigned purpose was to be a "help-meet" for Adam.  There were no other women to be friends with, and no one to talk to except a man.  (And you girls know how that goes.)  However, she did get to live in the most beautiful, perfect place in the world--the garden of Eden--and from the description of the food that she and Adam were provided with, (by God), she didn't have to cook, or do much of anything else that we are told about.

The instructions on what was expected concerning the garden, tending it, naming the animals, etc., etc...were given to Adam.  As well as the commandment not to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.  (Genesis 2:17)  We can only assume that Adam told Eve about this tree and about God's command, because when the serpent approached her, Eve said that they could eat from every tree except one--but she  exaggerated.  She said, "...we mustn't eat it or even touch it, or we will die."  God didn't say anything about touching the tree--just about not eating from it. So, she listened to the serpent instead of Adam and tasted the fruit.  Gen. 3:6 says that Adam was with her and she gave him some.  After Adam ate the fruit their eyes opened to the truth.  He knew what he was doing.

Subsequently, God punished Eve by telling her that she would bear children in pain and suffering.  (I might note that the serpent was not a snake.  It was a beautiful winged creature--which God cursed and condemned to travel on its belly--only after tempting Eve.  You can't tempt a woman with something ugly.  Especially a snake.  We fall for pretty every time.)

People blame Eve for eating the fruit, but God blamed Adam because he was the one God gave the instructions to.  Paul says in Romans 5:12-14, "...by one man sin entered into the world...(and) death reigned from Adam to Moses..."  Like I wrote a few weeks ago, God could have said, "Don't whistle."  Or, "Wear shoes every day."  Or anything.  The point was obedience.  And Eve, along with her husband, failed.  And we've been failing ever since.