Final answer:
Twain's narrative of Eve taking up animal naming is an example of women's empowerment and subversion of traditional gender roles, aligning with historical advocates for women's rights like Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question regarding the idea that Eve takes over the naming of animals and believes she does it better in Mark Twain's narrative suggests Twain is showing an example of empowerment of women over men. This can be seen as a reversal of traditional gender roles, where women assert their capabilities and challenge the established paternalistic norms. In the context of gender criticism, this act of empowerment signifies a subversion of patriarchal authority and highlights how power dynamics are complex and multifaceted, rather than simply top-down or one-directional.
Historically, figures like Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton have contested the subjugation of women and advocated for equal rights, including suffrage. Through their intellectual prowess, they exposed the inconsistencies and hypocrisy of arguments that relegated women to a domestic sphere and denied them political or social power. In literature, as in Twain's work, these themes are explored with wit and incisiveness, often by attributing traditionally 'male' roles or characteristics to female characters, thereby challenging the societal norms of their time.