What do the two Genesis stories tell us about creation and about how we should read the Bible?

The bible opens with two different but similar creation narratives, namely Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Each are similar in their style, as both describe the creation of the world as we know it as well as humans -- yet, in a different way. The main difference between them is that in Gen 1, the earth and all its creatures are created before humans, while in Gen 2 humans are created first and foremost. Additionally, in Gen 1 both man and woman are created simultaneously, where in Gen man is created first and than woman is created from man's rib. This is not the only disparity between the two accounts. The literary style is also very different. In Gen 1, there is a rhythm to the writing, it follows a pattern (namely, 'and then there was X'). However in Gen 2, there is more of a poetic narrative form which is less structured. Due to the difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2 in their accounts and in the literary form, we can deduce that each account was written by a different author. We can also understand that the narrative account in the Bible are not meant to be taken literally, but allegorically. Additionally, each story portrays God differently, which we can deduce means that both authors had a reason for the way they portrayed God. In Gen 1 God is distant and speaks of his plan and it happens, whereas in Gen 2 God is collaborative and is empathetic and has a personal relationship with his creation -- especially humans. Because of these differences it is important that the reader understand who the author was originally intending the writing for and what the author's overall agenda may have been -- such as, was it written to a people in time of war who needed a reason for the turmoil and destruction, or was it written to a new nation of people looking for a leader in an empathetic God? It is important to look into the 'historicity' of the writings, not just the text, to truly understand the meaning of biblical passages.