See, now try as I might, when considering this I can't get around the NT doctrine of Predestination (which I've recently addressed in another thread).
I believe it has a direct bearing on this topic, especially if one is going to consider whether or not it is an alleghorical story or a historical one.
If we are to go down the route of taking it as an historical account then:
- Did God set things in motion, unaware of the course Adam was going to take, and then had to respond to it?
- Did He decide not to foreknow that this would happen?
- Did He know it was going to happen, but let it anyway?
- Did he Predestine it to happen?
Since there is such a rich platter of symbology offered up in the story, I come down rather heavily on the side of it being an alleghorical tale, designed to explain man's separation (or spiritual disconnection) from "God".