Beginnings: East of Eden

Freedom
 Many people seem to find their freedom and peace of mind once they are taken away from that which fueled them to act in a  manner that was not comprehensible. For some it's a prison cell, others it's seeing the light of a new day, and still for some it takes the voice of reason to bring them to their senses. Adam's freedom came from the voice of reason of Samuel,and his decision to be liberated from the prison cell he built with and for Cathy. With Samuel's voice of reason, Adam is able to come out of his state of depression. This voice of reason is seen in the form of Samuel's lecture in which Samuel tells Adam that if he lives his life as though he were a happy man, happiness will surely follow along (E.O.E. 215). When Adam does nothing much with what Sam tells him, whether he knew of the consequences or not he tells Adam of Cathy's brothel. It is then that Adam is awoken from his deep slumber and sets about putting his life right. He comes to the realization that shutting himself out from the world isn't what is going to solve his problems, thus comes out in the open which sheds some light in the dark and gloomy land that Cathy has left him in. He purchases Dessie's house at the suggestion of Liza Hamilton, thus he continues on his journey of liberating himself. In moving away from the home he was building for Cathy, he lets go of the chains that bound him to her. This also helps erase memories of the painful moments that took place, like Cathy shooting him (E.O.E.200). Thus it is seen that just like prison cells or light of new days, open spaces, or acquiring new land is symbolic of Adam's freedom as it is  what helps him move on with the life he thought was forever gone when Cathy left him. Not only does this new home of his help him forget Cathy, but it also gives him the freedom to be closer with his sons, whom he ignored for a whole year after they were born. Adam goes through a phase in his life that not only changes his whole attitude on life, but it also sets him from any impure bondage.

East of Eden: Part Three

1. In part three, six characters die or their deaths are described-Una, Samuel, Charles, Lee's mother, Dessie and Tom. How does the omnipresence of death change the mood and atmosphere of the novel?
The omnipresence of death makes the novel take on a more pessimistic, dark and sorrowful turn. With each character that dies, something almost valuable dies with that person. Take Una's death for instance; how she died exactly isn't known, although it is mentioned that her family thought she died because of chemicals around her home, but it is seen that once she leaves, it gravely affects her family especially Samuel. The once happy, strong, jovial man suddenly becomes overcome with grief, and doesn't truly let go of his daughter's death. He ages more quickly than his time would permit, and becomes weak as he blames himself for her death (E.O.E. 276). He mentions to Tom that "a mother loves best an ugly child," not that Una was ugly, or very pretty either, but it's almost as if Samuel feels that although he loved her he just as well neglected her. With Una's death Samuel feels there's truly no point in living for tomorrow, thus his usual optimism is gone once his daughter dies, and he willingly accepts that his time has come for him to depart this world. When it comes to Dessie's death, Tom feels even worse as he blames himself for accidentally killing his beloved sister by giving her the salts for her stomach ache. Knowing that the guilt and grief he is feeling will probably kill him before his time, he does the unthinkable and commits suicide, thus he also felt pessimistic about the future ahead, and probably didn't see his life progressing anywhere without his sister (E.OE. 408-409).


3. How are the twins, Cal and Aron, different? Look at the paragraph near the end of chapter 27, where the difference in the two boys is described by their supposed responses to an anthill. How do Cal's actions accord with description?
While Aron is kindhearted, calm and generous, just like his father, Cal is dark, manipulative, very observant and quite smart just like his mother. As Lee likes to describe them, Aron is instantly liked by people who meet him(E.O.E 294) because of his character and who he is, and it's as if there is this light about him that draws people to him without him even trying. It's possible that it's this light that Abra sees that makes her take an instant liking to Aron so much. Cal however, Lee mentions, always seems to be fighting for his life (E.O.E. 294), as he seems to take the backseat whenever it comes to both brothers. Again just like his mother Cal seems to know the weak spots of people around him and he is sure to note exactly what a person is like, especially his brother and he uses this to his advantage and manipulates and changes certain situations as he sees fit.
From the description about how both boys would respond to the anthill, it can be seen that with Aron's caring nature he sees that everything in this world is as it should, thus should not be trifled with. Cal on the other hand given his manipulative nature, as is mentioned in the book would tamper with the ants, and in so doing he would change things around him in the world to suit his ways (E.O.E. 348-349). Cal will always have a way to make the most uncertain of situations work out in his favor, for it's just who he chooses to be, and it's almost as if his whole being and existence depends on it, just like his mother sees her whole existence depending on being evil.

Continuation of East of Eden: Part Two

11. The Cain and Abel story in the novel are dominant because Steinbeck wishes to draw attention to how much some of the character's life revolve around this story. From the beginning of the book to the middle, connections can be made with Cain and Abel and Charles and Adam. Adam who is unaware of this connection when Samuel reads the story is angry at God for favoring Abel, oblivious to the fact that his father favored him over Charles (E.O.E 269). Adam then begins to understand better when Samuel explains that Cain was not really condemned by God, but he brought this condemnation on himself through his anger. Charles I believe also brought his own condemnation upon himself, for he could not control the anger he felt for his father loving Adam more than he did him. his punishment then continued when he drunk himself impotent and wept about it (E.O.E 133), which must have been such a blow to his pride. So then my question is how come he never took this anger out on his father who was obviously the one to blame? It's kind of like asking why Cain didn't take his anger out on God instead of his brother.

7.While Samuel and Liza are different in their personalities, it's what makes their relationship works. Liza believes in all that is good and just, and when she believes that anything in the world goes against what she believes, she makes sure to rebuke it. Liza takes her sense of morality to an extreme level where she prohibits alcohol from entering her home, and where she believes idleness to be just as big of a sin as taking another's life (E.O.E 182). While Samuel is as righteous as his wife, he seems to keep his at a minimum, and always seems to have Liza keeping him grounded, not that he really needs it, but sometimes he can go overboard with certain thoughts and concepts of his. The two love and respect each and other and their children, and although not miserably poor, but poor, with each other they seem to be just content and happy with their lives. The most admirable characteristic in Liza is her faith and how she is able to raise her children, all nine of them in this faith of hers.

Good and Evil

There always seems to be this competition between the theme "Good and Evil", and while the world has a mixture of both, the evil always seems to outweigh that which is good. In the novel is seen how this theme plays out in each of the characters, and how it in turn affects other characters. The most obvious example of outright evil is seen in Catherine Amesbury, who is described as a monster when introduced into the story (E.O.E 72). For Cathy, the world is evil as it is, with no presence of good anywhere. She thus wholeheartedly commits her life to serving evil and bending to it's will. Her sense of evilness is seen when she murders her own parents by arson (E.O.E 86-87), becomes a concubine in the name of money and power, and when she almost kills her unborn twins. The list of goes on for this character when it comes to her perverse ways. It is not fully understood as to why Cathy yields so much to evil, as the book never mentions of her doing it for an ultimate goal, which is probably what makes her such a puzzling character. Some like Adam and Faye from the first time they see her really adore her, while others like Lee, Samuel and Charles feel that she has an air of indifference about her. 

Another example of evil is seen through Cyrus Trask, whom it is later found out that he acquired his wealth through unjust means. Although Cyrus's sense of evil is nowhere as close to Cathy's he wasn't exactly the definition of good either. He was a vile, hateful person who was promiscuous in his time away from home to serve in the war, and thought his sons, one of whom followed his teachings better than the other to be just brutal (E.O.E 14-19). 

Not to worry, there is some good etched in this book, as these people just like every other woman who has the capability to choose, chose to go with evil. Adam Trask apparently was an apple that fell very far from the tree. He may have enlisted in the war like his father wanted him to, but he was really nothing like his father. Adam was a kind and generous man, with a good heart, and it was seen from the time he was young. He was always so much gentler and calm than his younger brother Charles, and was never really one for violence (E.OE. 21). It was a shame though when Cathy entered his life and seemed to turn his world upside down. However with the help of more good people like Samuel Hamilton and Lee, Adam was  able to make it through this dark period of his. There is good in the world, no matter what form or shape it takes, it's just that the world has become so chaotic and untrustworthy that that goodness is sometimes hard to detect, and evil just seems to fill the void.

Part two of East of Eden

2. I don't think Adam's forgetfulness of his past is truly convincing. I mean one can't just all of a sudden forget all that he came from, and all that he was, no matter how bad it was. He may have forgiven what his brother had done, but to forget him and where he was from just by moving into a new place wasn't very convincing. He was trying to suppress that side of him, the side that perhaps made him unhappy, which is understandable. Not many people like to hang onto the past, but that doesn't mean they simply forget it as Adam mentioned that he did. Yes his obliviousness is a form of repression to wreak havoc. In pretending to forget his past, he fails to see how his life took on that of Cain and Abel's in the Bible. He fails to see how his father favored him over his brother, just like God favored Abel over Cain, and thus is angry at God for just this favoring (E.O.E. 269). Thus if his sons were to grow up to take up a a relationship like what he had with his brother, he wouldn't know it to be able to prevent or stop it.

4. Cathy remains the monster she was mentioned of being from the beginning of the novel, and never once changes, not for anything or anyone in the world. When Samuel first meets her, he has this uneasy feeling about her, as if something isn't right with her. Perhaps being so righteous and they way he is, he was able to sense this right away, as Lee did. Cathy has a way of speaking that makes her cold and very distant, and Samuel felt this when he was speaking to her (E.O.E 173). Additionally, Cathy never really seems to show any emotions of human quality, which makes her appear almost inhuman. Adam of course failed to notice all these because of the love he felt for her, but Charles on the hand knowing she was in a way like him was able to pick up on who she was from the very first time he saw her.

East of Eden: Part Two

9. Lee's statement applies mostly to Charles, who even though loved and adored his father, never had that love reciprocated by his father. Thus Charles felt a deep sense of rejection which made him angry, and unable to understand why the love from his father was never there for him, but was there from the son who didn't love him; Adam. He took this anger out on his older brother the way he knew how, and was taught by his father; through the cruel beating he gave to Adam, and how he almost killed him (E.O.E 31). To some extent Charles' reaction in terms of his anger was understandable. With siblings there will always be some sort of rivalry, and when a parent or both parents favor one child over the other, the deep sense of rejection just starts to take root. When the fire that fuels the anger from the rejection isn't extinguished in time it results in so many unwanted disasters, sometimes as grave as death. Charles felt this, and even after the two siblings grew up, the rejection and confusion of why this was still there.

10. There is a Moses figure in the form and shape of Samuel Hamilton. His leadership and guidance is seen especially when he helps Adam when Cathy ultimately betrays him. He is able to assure him that if he lives his life as though he were happy, happiness will eventually catch up to him (E.O.E 215). Additionally, Samuel in learning that Adam had not named his kids after a year, takes it upon his shoulders to lead the whole process of the naming, telling Adam that he cannot ignore his children simply because of what Cathy did. Samuel is able to bring Adam out of this depressing time of his, and makes him see that things do get better with time.