Good Man

Several of the images in “Good Man” are biblical in nature; the most repeated of these symbols is the snake, or serpent. In the Old Testament of the Judeo-Christian Bible, the snake is the catalyst for Adam and Eve’s forced exit from the garden of Eden; thus, the snake represents the cause of ongoing conflicts between men and women in heterosexual relationships.

Snakes are mentioned almost immediately in the poem in the fourth line, and then appear again in the fourth stanza, where Geter describes men hiding “serpents in our blood stream” (Line 33) and physically separating from Eve. In this portrayal, Geter seems to be arguing that men make an intentional choice to side with the snake, a character who wants women to feel shame and be set up for failure in their relationships with men. The language of “in our blood stream” (Line 33) also implies Geter’s belief that men, rather than searching for a more righteous path, are internalizing negative aspects of masculinity and allowing these to control them, much as the serpent originally poisons Eve’s mind in the biblical interpretation.