In Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Cole), how is the Painting discussed?
The title of the painting, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, refers to the story of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden in the Book of Genesis, which is the founding narrative for Christian explanations of sin and evil. 
Traditionally, representations of the event usually have Adam and Eve as the focal point, with their despair at their expulsion conveyed through their figures. However, as an artist of the Hudson River School, Cole emphasized the landscape rather than the figures.  Dwarfed by the landscape, Adam and Eve have minimal detail.  While their posture and expression indicate their disgrace in conventional terms (they cover their faces, and Eve as the more guilty party leads the way), Cole seeks to convey their despair primarily through the landscape. 
Consistent with a more or less dualistic vision of good and evil espoused by many strains of Christianity, the composition is divided exactly in half. On the viewer's right is Paradise, from which Adam and Eve are forcibly thrust by a bright ray of light, which likely symbolizes God. Paradise emanates radiance and is a source of light and joy in the universe.  It is vibrant, full of life with lush wildlife, and blue skies.On the left side of the picture, the outside world is portrayed as the opposite of Paradise. It is dark and ominous, as hinted in the decaying trees, volcano in the background, and the wolf devouring a deer in the bottom left corner, as a vulture flies by, hoping to scavenge some of the carcass.
Garden of Eden Adam and Eve Eden Expulsion from the Garden of Eden Adam Book of Genesis Hudson River School Eve