Short Summary Of East Of Eden By Adam Trask

East of Eden
Summary
In the late 1800’s a kindhearted and hardworking man named Samuel Hamilton moves to a town named Salinas Valley. He brings his wife, Liza, with him. Liza Hamilton is a loving wife, however, she is very strict and often views activities that provoke fun as sinful and make people open to the devil. After Samuel Hamilton move into Salinas Valley, a man named Adam Trask and his wife Cathy Trask settle in the valley as well. However, before living in Salinas, Adam lived in on a farm in Connecticut with his brother Charles. Adam is the Son of Cyrus Trask, a former soldier who lost his leg in the Civil War. Adam had a bad relationship with his brother, Charles. Charles was jealous of the love that Adam received from their

Cyrus Trask, the father of Adam and Charles Trask, chooses a path of evil when he decides to steal money as a U.S administrator. Charles Trask acts out of envy towards his brother because the unequal love his father showed towards Adam. Charles reacts to this jealousy by brutally beating Adam, and through out the story Charles carries a lingering hatred. Cathy, Adam’s wife, makes a habit of choosing evil every opportunity she can find, often through manipulation. From killing her parents, stealing money, cheating on Adam, shooting Adam, and living the rest of her life as a blackmailing prostitute, Cathy’s actions are constantly motivated by evil. Cal, the son of Adam Trask, struggles with the idea that he inherited his mother, Cathy’s, evil. Cal displays this evil by taking advantage of the Post-World War One economy, and stealing beans from hardworking farmers so that he can sell them for cheaper prices. “East of Eden” ends with Adam forgiving Cal of his wrongdoings. However, this happy ending is followed by the haunting idea that future generations will make the same mistakes, and follow the same path of good and evil, that Cal and his ancestors have. This idea portrays the jealousy and greed that motivates evil within society. Though evil may not be genetic, evil can be passed on through the haunting past of ones