novels and all of them still be of high-quality work. Perhaps one of his most notable traits was his love for writing detailed descriptions of land and weather. The use of natural elements in East of Eden, allow Steinbeck to emphasize motifs and themes throughout the novel. In the beginning of East of Eden, Steinbeck can be found giving a detailed description of the two separate mountain ranges that form the Salinas Valley. The eastern mountain range with it’s wide range of magnificent flowers is
In his novel, East of Eden, John Steinbeck includes many insights into life. Some examples are the battle between good and evil and people realizing they can choose their own path. The main life lesson that Steinbeck includes is that the truth can set people free. Through the realizations of his characters, Steinbeck reveals that while facing the truth may hurt people, it is necessary in order for them to change and grow stronger. Steinbeck uses Adam, when he realizes the truth about Cathy’s feeling
In the novel East of Eden, there is a constant battle of the good versus the evil. Characters are forced to fight with the demons within themselves and those in the real world. Adam Trask is a prime example of these struggles; he must confront his evil from the past for him to move on with his life. Adam takes the wise words of his old friend, Samuel Hamilton, and uses his final gift to liberate himself from [Cathy.] Adam’s evil takes the shape of his estranged wife, Cathy Ames, or is later known
In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the plot mainly follows the life of Adam Trask, past and future. His two children, Caleb and Aaron, provide biblical parallels similar to Adam and Charles. The second half of the book is following these two children grow up and mature. When Caleb discovers the truth of his mother, he is overcome with great shock, but soon learns how to cope with the truth. Not only does he simply withstand the news, he grows greatly from it as well. Through this moment, he gaining
piece of monster in all of us.” (Cusatis). Every person has two sides, no one is completely good or completely evil. In the East of Eden, John Steinbeck uses a biblical metaphor to illustrate the innate good and evil that humans encounter. The novel includes several characters that are purely evil or do evil deeds. The Trask family is directly correlated to the Garden of Eden and other biblical narratives. “Steinbeck puts more into his stories than Genesis 4” (Fontenrose). Steinbeck illustrates the
East of Eden is recognized as one of John Steinbeck’s best writing. In this book Steinbeck used his old home as a setting to show his audience his childhood experience. During Steinbeck’s life, the Great Depression is occurring This is important to keep in mind since it greatly affects all of Steinbeck’s writing. It would be helpful to have read the Book of Genesis before reading East of Eden, since it is basically a spinoff of it. Obviously, many different parts are more developed but in its simplest
Title: East of Eden Significance of the title: The novel is intended to be an allegory for or a retelling of the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis, from Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden through the story of Cain and Abel. “East of Eden” is also the final phrase of the final biblical passage about Cain and Abel, which is an important aspect of this story. Genre: Historical fiction Date of original publication: September 1952 Author: John Steinbeck Setting: The story begins
The novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck revolves around two families, the Trask family and the Hamilton family. Samuel Hamilton an Irish Immigrant, father of nine, and husband to Liza Hamilton meets the Trask family when Adam Trask would need help with an irrigation system for his new farm, when he moved to the Saliana Valleys during the Homestead Act. Samuel Hamilton becomes very close with the Trask family and even birth?? Adam and Cathy's son. After Cathy shots Adam in the shoulder and runs away
earliest of times. Many of the most well known stories of the Bible is about free will. The stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis are the first two stories concerning the aspect of free will. John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden mirrors these two stories, giving the characters both a predetermined fate and the free will to break out of their set molds. Throughout Steinbeck’s novel, there is an underlying fear of history repeating itself and the characters’ fates being
Strength or Weakness: Vulnerability in East of Eden In East of Eden, John Steinbeck explores how the personality trait of vulnerability affects an individual. He shows this through Cal (Caleb) Trask’s result in his defensive position from society and a desire to change himself. Cal develops a forced defense against society from his susceptibility. Cal seems to be a powerful person based on his looks; nevertheless, he still has weaknesses. The narrator describes Cal after he hunts with his twin