At the heart of every story are characters, whose complex identities shape their actions, decisions, and implications for the broader message of the author. Although every novel examines identity in some manner, there are uniquely compelling parallels between East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Beloved by Toni Morrison which collectively enhance the meaning of the works. In East of Eden, Steinbeck examines the progression of family and society over time, centering his message around a powerful allusion to the Biblical characters of Cain and Abel. In Beloved, Morrison explores the enduring impact of slavery on identity as well as the power and extent of love in the midst of affliction. In the framework of these distinct plots, both East of Eden …show more content…
In East of Eden, Tom Hamilton relies so heavily on his father’s love that he is hopeless without it. Tom ultimately takes his own life because he cannot “justify the love and pride” Samuel “squandered” on him (Steinbeck 406). Although less tragic, Sethe’s daughter Denver in Beloved experiences a similar loneliness, longing for the attention which her mother once gave her: “... Denver’s imagination produced its own hunger and food, which she badly needed because loneliness wore her out” (Morrison 35). Both Tom and Denver associate their identity too closely with their parents, resulting in pain when such relationships are lost. Moreover, Charles and Cal Trask, the Biblical Cain figures in East of Eden, suffer from parental neglect. These two characters harm their respective brothers out of jealousy. Adam Trask retrospectively encapsulates this reality in a letter to Charles: “‘I didn’t know then, but I know now - you were fighting for your love’” (Steinbeck 70). Ultimately, each novel leads to the conclusion that love is both essential and dangerous to one’s identity. Familial bonds have the power to reinforce identity, but they also have the power to destroy …show more content…
This is most evident in Sethe’s character growth throughout Beloved. Prior to the arrival of Beloved, who embodies her dead daughter, Sethe preserves the future by “keeping the past at bay” (Morrison 51). Over the course of the novel, however, Beloved gains power over Sethe: “[Sethe] sat in the chair licking her lips like a chastised child while Beloved ate up her life …” (Morrison 295). Beloved, a symbol of the painful past, consumes Sethe in the present, demonstrating that a relationship with the past can become too intense. Ultimately, Sethe overcomes Beloved’s grasp and begins a new future, establishing her identity as one which is impacted, but not controlled, by the past. In East of Eden, Adam Trask faces a similar confrontation with the past. Adam’s wife Cathy, who embodies evil throughout the novel, betrays her husband and leaves him with their twin sons. For the first several years of the boys’ lives, Adam “seemed clothed in a viscosity that slowed his movements and held his thoughts down” (Steinbeck 250). After years of neglect, Adam finally confronts Cathy, who is a clear representation of his own painful past. His encounter with Cathy is filled with tension, yet it results in his freedom from her control: “‘I’m beginning to think you’re a twisted human - or no human at
Cal’s Internal Struggle Not any one person or character has a single characteristic. Personality is made up of a multitude of different things, good and bad. This holds true in John Steinbeck’s, East of Eden, because even though Cal makes immoral decisions he is still human with other admirable attributes. Cal fights against his nature that was passed down to him by Cathy without ever giving up. He discovers how special Aron is, but keeps his composure, “Cal stared fiercely at his brother, at the pale hair and the wide-set eyes, and he suddenly knew why his father loved Aron, knew it beyond doubt.”
In the novel “East ofela Eden,” the author John Steinbeck uses a biblical reference forshadowing the fate of each charicter. Notably, the reacurring names that starts with “A” and “C”, referring to Cain and Abel from the bible, the sons of Adam and Eve. Additionallt, Cain out of spite kills Abel because God accepts Abel’s offering rather than Cains. In the novel the charicters who are sinful have names that begin with C-Caleb, Cathy, Charles, and Cyrus and the “good” charicaters have names start start with A such as Adam, Aron, and Abra. Furthermore the relationship bewteen Cain and Abel is quite similar to Charles and Adam becuase Charles once tries to kill Adam.
Daniel Moreland Mrs. Miller AP Literature I attest that the following work is solely my own, and that I have not borrowed, copied, cheated, or plagiarized. East of Eden Character Analysis: In John Steinbeck’s novel, East of Eden, many characters are used and developed throughout the story. Similar to the plot, many characters fall into similarity with biblical characters. Catherine Ames is a main character who is considered to be evil and shows similarities to the Serpent from the book of Genesis and Satan himself.
Steinbeck claims in East of Eden that people will reflect upon whether their life was good or evil, and, above all, if they were loved or not. In Chapter 34, Steinbeck defends his claim that to live a good life and to be loved by many, one must overcome evil with good, using the devices of allusion, anecdote, and juxtaposition. Steinbeck begins the chapter by connecting the common life to allusions of the past. The author first mentions Pearl White, a contemporary silent film actress, and how people fall into a state similar to that of her serials from simply wondering whether they would live a good life. People lose themselves in thought and wonder, just like how most of White’s films were lost to time.
What do you do when you technically fit in more with the antagonists of a story than the protagonists in an us vs them situation? When the story paints the antagonists as wrong and all that you might see as strange or disgusting in the protagonists is portrayed as reasonable, beautiful, or understandable? The novel This Other Eden by Paul Harding places readers in this uncomfortable position, forcing a reader to reckon with these questions. As the antagonists, the mainlanders, evict a mixed-race community from an island in Maine, a reader is more likely to find similarities between themselves and the mainlanders than the islanders, even if a reader is unlikely to agree with the mainlanders’ views. This middle position in an us vs them storyline
Sahid Conteh English 12 Mr. Gonzalez September 7, 2015 The Secret behind The Scars In the book “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, we see the author infuses the perspective of christianity, the story of cain and abel in the bible struggling with the idea of good versus evil, the author uses this theme in the bible from the old testament in contrast to life at the Salinas Valley. In this book, there are several significant themes that are derived from the bible, but the most significant one is betrayal.
The families similar courses that they pursued allowed for “a new kind of unity in East of Eden” (Lisca) and a better understanding of the major messages in the story. Additionally, the differences that they did have illustrated a broader context for the reader, and the failure by Steinbeck “to achieve fictional concentration” (Lisca) was simply a misunderstanding of Steinbeck’s ability to provide several different perspectives of a controversial topic, which allowed the readers to think about the concepts and formulate an opinion for themselves. The privilege of being given ‘both sides of a story’ not only sparks an intriguing discussion, but it also develops into an inarguably good
"East of Eden" talking about all ups and downs, virtues and vices, despair and hope, that in the end most clearly evident in the microcosm of several generations of one family. In the universal (internal) conflict between good and evil, which Steinbeck argues, is “the only story we have”, human beings have a choice and where there is a choice, there is a freedom. As far as the novel is just one educational sermon, so it is a hot call to everything that exists on the earth 's hard to live in tolerance, in understanding. Even, if possible, and in love and always in the name of those who will come after
The most prominent themes in John Steinbeck’s epic, East of Eden, is good and evil and the concept of free will. He tells the story of two main families, the Hamiltons and their patriarch, Samuel, who are the epitome of good, and the Trasks who juxtapose the Hamiltons’ goodness. Throughout the novel, the stories of the two families come together, and then fade apart as the Trasks take center stage and the Hamiltons begin to fade with the death of their patriarch. But one thing which does not fade is the existence of good and evil, and free will. These two themes weave together and become a presence throughout the whole novel.
Gene's profound affection for Finny becomes both a haven of comfort and a breeding ground for internal turmoil, as envy and resentment permeate their relationship. Through this examination, Knowles unveils the profound impact that love can have on life, shaping identities and influencing choices made. Through Gene's admiration for Finny and the homoerotic undertones of their relationship, it’s apparent how love can be both a source of comfort and a source of conflict. By exploring the complexities of love with allegories, Knowles offers a nuanced portrayal of the human experience and the challenges faced as emotions are navigated. Knowles' exploration of love in A Separate Peace offers insights into the human condition.
Steinbeck bases his novel, East of Eden, around the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. When Cyrus favors Adam 's birthday gift over Charles ', the jealous Charles nearly beats Adam to death. Similarly, the next generation of brothers, Cal and Aron, are doomed to the same fate and further follow the characteristics of the Cain and Abel fable. In their case, Adam rejects Cal’s birthday present of $15,000, and as a result, Cal kills Aron’s innocence through him showing Aron their mother, a prostitute. Ironically, when Adam first hears of the story of Cain and Abel, he feels outraged at God for favoring Abel at what appears to be at random.
It is difficult to interpret Steinbeck’s true motive with the creation of Cathy Ames, but it is clear that Cathy’s actions make her different from most other women in this time period. She often uses her boldness and self-assurance to manipulate mens’ desires for her own gain; even at a young age she knew that sexuality “… is the most disturbing impulse humans have” (75). While her intentions are evil, her assertiveness is almost refreshing in contrast to most of the other reserved female characters in East of Eden. However, Cathy’s rejection of motherhood and her dominance over men is often portrayed as dishonorable, and Cathy is villainized without “the potential of a conscience” (72).
Adam is raised with his young half-brother, Charles, his step-mother, Alice, and his pragmatic father, Cyprus. Cyprus is a military obsessed man who wants to imbue his children with the discipline and honor of the army. He craves order, discipline, and competition, which often leads to tensions between his two sons. Adam is kind and emotion, while Charles thrives under his father’s strict rules and games. The younger brother is dominant and thrives in all aspects of home
Caleb Trask is the embodiment of human sin. Playing the role of Cain, from the biblical story of Cain and Abel, Caleb struggles with jealousy and its repercussions. In John Steinbeck’s literary work, East of Eden, the characters embody traits at biblical proportions. Despite his many and apparent flaws, Caleb Trask is the most admirable character in the novel. Cal is the most admirable character because he choses to overcome his greed, jealousness and mean spirit.
Once upon a time, there were a set of twins born into a corrupt household. One of the twins was secretly jealous of the other, which resulted him taking his own brother’s life. This tragedy occurs in the novel, East of Eden, written by John Steinbeck. East of Eden is about several families being brought together and having love-hate relationships. The characters in the novel are separated into two different name groups, C and A.