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.