Essay on Timshel in Steinbeck´s East of Eden

Religion is a central theme in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Religion constantly appears through the similarities between the Cain and Abel story, the Hebrew word timshel, and the presence of God and Fate in the novel. Throughout the book, the characters struggle with the ideas of good and evil, and choice and freewill. As the story unfolds and progresses, we see the characters deal with these things with religion being the base and the root that the book lays upon. The biblical story of Cain and

self-realization for a character through their struggles which gives insight into the theme. In his novel East of Eden, John Steinbeck introduces the moral struggle surrounding “timshel” to convey his theme regarding freedom. In the story, Cal Trask, the protagonist, struggles to contain his internal conflicts. Through the application of “timshel”, Steinbeck reveals Cal’s character development. The idea of “timshel” gives Cal the reassurance he needs to overcome his internal fears. Cal’s lack of understanding

the evil that lives within people. John Steinbeck provokes both virtues in the East of Eden, taking place in Salinas Valley, California in the 1900’s. The theme that is subtly circling all over the book is the meaning of the word “timshel” which revolves around the characters Cathy, Adam, and Caleb. To begin with, a central theme in the story is the Hebrew word “timshel.” There are several philosophical analyses involving this word throughout the book. Steinbeck brought it up through the character Lee

John Steinbeck’s novel, “East of Eden”, discloses the answer of right and wrong, good versus evil and overcoming sin with a simple Hebrew word “Timshel”, meaning thou mayest, allowing us the freedom to make our individual decisions or choose our path in life; it’s actually God’s perfect gift to everyone. In the beginning, God grants us free will so that we have the ability to love and accept him or not. However, had God not chosen to grant us free will, we would not be human as we know it today,

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

East of Eden Summary & Character Descriptions   Because East of Eden is a novel woven together of many people and many stories, it is an especially difficult novel to summarize. It is impossible to draw character sketches without interweaving them with the storyline, thus, I have combined the characters descriptions and plot summary. The book opens by describing the lives of two very different families in very different parts of America. First the Hamiltons, a patriarch built around