Essay on Timshel in Steinbeck´s East of Eden

East of Eden, written by John Steinbeck, is a profound, complicated retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, focused around the overall struggle between good and evil . John Steinbeck wrote this for his own sons, John and Tom, to show them not only the history of their family in the Hamiltons, but also the concept of sibling rivalry emerging from the competition over paternal love and acceptance (Shillinglaw). This was first evident in Adam and Charles Trask, and then in Adam’s sons, Aron and Cal Trask. The absence of a true mother figure in these two instances of brotherly contention enhances the need for acknowledgment and love from their parental figures. And yet, both mother figures in East of Eden choose to abandon their

Choice can be defined as the act of selecting or making a decision when faced with multiple possibilities. In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the motifs of houses, hands, and money reflect how the pattern of good and evil repeat due to the reoccurring theme that one has the right to choose.

1. A. “When a child first catches adults out—when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just—his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone… they do not fall a little; they crash… it is a tedious job to build them up again, they never quite shine” (Steinbeck 19-20). B. This quote utilizes a metaphor to explain how children tend to believe the words of adults. For most children, adults appear wise and intelligent, always knowing the right thing to do and say.

Cruelty can be a major conflict within a story, whether it destroys the characters physically or mentally. Perpetrators who attempt to diminish a victim’s humanity want to gain the power that would give them a sense of control over certain situations by draining happiness from them. Doing this contributes to the energy source that the perpetrators use in order to live a fulfilling life. These actions reveal that they not only want to cause chaos, but that they believe it will help their victims comprehend where they stand in society. In East of Eden, the theme of good versus evil opens the doors for cruelty, as seen through Cathy’s abandonment and Adam’s favoritism, causing the destruction of family members and unlocking the characters’ path

In the beginning of the book, Tim is dependent and has yet to grow up. At first, Tim wants to be exactly like Sam and do everything that he does. In the book Tim tell us, “I just wanted him (father) to shut up

Steinbeck demonstrates the idea of Timshel through the actions of Cathy. For example, at the beginning of the novel, Cathy, as a young girl, chooses to set fire to her parent’s house (87). The narrator discusses Cathy’s

The biblical story of Cain and Abel has been written in more than one way. The King James version of the Bible states that when God speaks to Cain after he had murdered his brother Abel, God said, "Thou shalt" overcome sin. In the standard American version of the Bible, God says "Do thou" which means Cain will certainly overcome sin. The Hebrew word 'timshel' means 'thou mayest' which is arguably the most important two words in John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden. These two words change the meaning of what God said completely. 'Thou mayest' gives a person the gift of free will. It is not a promise or an order that people will overcome sin, timshel means that people are responsible for their own actions and decisions. It is the thoughts and

In addition, Tim is torn between both sides. He asks why Sam has to be not nice to Father and tells him that he had it nice; he had money for books and studies that Father sent him. He asks, “Listen, Sam, why do you always have to get into a fight with Father?” (Collier and Collier, 15). According to later chapters Tim looks up to both his father and brother. The split between father and brother causes his dilemma. After being torn between sides and fighting about the sides, it is evident that war tears families apart.

They met in middle school here at Jefferson. She didn't like him at the time because Tim came to school smelling like manure and she thought farmers were gross. When high school came, they dated for a very long time. They are married now. She has influenced him in more than a few ways. One of the ways she impacted Tim was, she helped make him the best he could be. She influenced him to stay in school and she also keeps an eye out for him. She is his partner in crime. A second impact in Tim's childhood, was his brother, Ted. When he and his siblings were all around middle school age, all the boys had to help move a few of the farm tractors to Tim's farm. Ted didn't want to help that day, but Tim needed his help. He told him he had to and so Ted listened. When Ted was driving the tractor, he took too hard of a turn. It tipped over and he passed away. This impacted Timothy a lot. He blamed the accident all on him and has still yet to forgive himself. He doesn't break out of his shell very often anymore to have a good time because of what happened around 20 years ago. He has gone to a medium with his wife, Lindsey to talk to Ted. Ted told him to have fun more often and play jokes on his family. He even told him to get a tattoo. Tim's third impact was his Grandpa Cota. His grandpa taught him how to do everything on the farm. His grandpa was the person that inspired him to become a farmer and own his own farm. Tim's grandpa was one of the biggest people in Tim's life growing up. His Grandpa Cota was his inspiration and role

First, Life’s Death causes Tim to be unaligned with any side. For instance, Tim discovers that his father is taken by the Cowboys peregrinating home from Verplanck's Point. Tim states,’’’In June of that,1777, we ascertained that father had died …. It wasn’t a Rebel Prison ship, it was a British ship”’ (164). Tim expected his father may have died by the Cowboys because he was antecedently assailed by them.

She becomes more open-minded and less susceptible to other’s behaviors. Towards the beginning of the book, Taylor is a hotheaded and impetuous young woman. When Mrs. Parson’s insulted Estevan, it took Taylor’s every ounce of strength to stop herself from being disrespectful. She mentions “If Mama hadn’t brought me up to do better, I think I would have told that old snake to put down her fork and get her backside out the door.” (Kingsolver 111). After moving in with Lou Ann Ruiz and Dwayne Ray, Taylor begins to fully understand the importance of family. At the start of the book, Taylor felt as if love was unreliable and deceitful. Her father had left her mom long before Taylor’s birth. Her suspicions are even strengthened when she witnesses all the broken families in her town. However, after meeting Estevan, Taylor realizes that there are always good people in the world. Despite facing multiple tragedies such as the death of close friends and losing their only daughter Ismene, Estevan and his wife Esperanza maintain their welcoming nature and compassion. Instead of turning bitter and reclusive, they use this as an opportunity to get stronger and better. Taylor witnesses this and uses it as a motivation to never lose

Individuality generally exists as a principle of Western bias, yet John Steinbeck uses timshel frequently throughout his controversial East of Eden as a more dynamic and autonomous moral notion to guide behavior. Steinbeck asserts that the individual’s thoughts, not thoughts achieved through collaborative efforts, exists as the greatest catalyst for change. He expresses this idea more elaborately when declaring, “And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected (131). The power of choice lies at the core of every great thought and it serves as a prerequisite for acting on thoughts.

Eva is known for her kindness and naiveté, while Legree is probably even more famous for his cruelness and racism. Among the countless evil things he does, Tom is tortured to death, and many other slaves are often whipped or starved. This is actually a comparison between Christianity and slavery - Christianity brings love and peace, while slavery beings pain and darkness. In addition, Eva and Legree hold completely different idea on religion. Eva is such a devout Christian that even before her death, she is still thinking about converting others and leading them to heaven. By contrast, Legree not only has no faith but also trying to destroy others' faith all the time, which is one of the reasons why he tortures Tom. Eva's short life is also a comparison with Legree - good people dies quickly, while evil ones still live in the world, continuously doing their deals with devils and bring pain to others. Not all stories end like a fairy tales. The different ends of the two characters enables the story to be more realistic, reflecting the cruel truth at that time. In this way, readers would be more likely to comprehend the urgency of abolishing

Two factors contribute to Tom's silence being positive. That we know Tom's thoughts is crucial in this scene. His silence is not empty; there are substantial and honorable thoughts that he holds within. If Tom did not have those potentially expressible thoughts, there would be no contrast. Secondly, it is possible for Tom to speak to Haley, but he chooses not to. He does not lower himself by begging for the freedom he knows he could never be granted nor does he grant Haley's desire for dialogue to break the uneasy quiet. Under this awkward surface silence, only Tom is comforted by religious words which "stir up the soul from its depths, and rouse, as with trumpet call, courage, energy, and enthusiasm."[4]

After Aron had enlisted in the Army after discovering his mother was a prostitute, his brother Cal went to go talk to Aron’s best friend and girlfriend Abra. Abra once loved Aron, but is explaining to Cal in this scene why she fell out of love with him before he left for the Army. Abra refers to Aron’s inability to deal with changes or flexibility in his life. Abra wants somebody, like Cal, who can embody the ideas of “timshel” and break free from the single story of their life. This contributes to an overarching theme in the book of trying to live for the moment and not the future or the past. The happiest people in this book were those who lived for the present, like Sam Hamilton on his farm, and the most unhappy were those who focused on