The Biblical Allusions In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
In this thesis, I tried to analyze the Biblical allusions in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. The aim of this work was to prove that John Steinbeck used many Biblical allusions, notably the allusions referring to the Biblical story in the fourth chapter of the book Genesis, which is the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, to show the inseparability of the good and the evil and the importance of man’s free will in his life and in the case of overcoming the evil.
I found out, that although the readers may acknowledge many similarities and the Biblical allusions in East of Eden, there are also many important differences which essentially outline the message of Steinbeck’s “Big Book”. The allusions begin from the title of the book, East of Eden and
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Steinbeck did not portray them as purely bad characters, both Charles and Caleb at some points in the story come as very sympathetic to the readers, they show their love for family, not only for their father but also for their brother, whom they eventually hurt. They both regret it, although as it is shown, Caleb regrets his actions very much, he goes to his father Adam and he asks for his forgiveness. This is never done by Charles, although it is clear that he has many regrets over his actions towards Adam and their father Cyrus. Steinbeck implicitly says that they did their crimes because they were rejected by their fathers and their love, which is needed by everyone, especially children. Caleb, as the representative of Cain is perhaps the most sympathetic character in the …show more content…
He also used two representatives of two Biblical figures, Cain and Abel, to show that by means of free will one can choose the course in his life and does not have to follow in his supposedly predestined role of either Cain or Abel. Predestination is closely linked to the concept of Timshel, free will, and Steinbeck uses this concept to portray the importance of it in life. He denies any predestination, he chooses Adam and Caleb to show that no one is predestined to follow in their ancestor’s (Cain and also their fathers in this story) steps and he can choose if he wants to do good or
Rhetorical Devices In East Of Eden By John Steinbeck
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Biblical Reference Foreshadowing Characters In East Ofela Eden By John Steinbeck
147 Words | 1 PagesIn 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.
Literary Techniques In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
137 Words | 1 PagesOf Mice and Men was an excellent novel about two migrant workers traveling in Southern California, trying to make enough money to fulfill their dream of attaining their own plot of land. They have trouble accomplishing this goal when Lennie, the big and clueless on of the two, consistently makes mistakes, some of them being vital. The author, John Steinbeck, uses great techniques and literary devices that build up to the climax and resolution. Throughout the story, he describes how several characters all have/had dreams or goals, but none of them truly achieved those dreams. All of these literary devices, techniques, and the entire plot lead up to my thesis statement.
Cathy Ames In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
981 Words | 4 PagesIn John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Cathy Ames is presented as a monster. She is the most evil character in the novel, and rightfully so. Cathy manipulates other characters into doing her bidding by tapping into their weaknesses and trusting natures. Physically speaking, Cathy had a face of innocence, formed in the shape of a heart, which contrasts with her morally culpable, sinful behaviors. Cathy was born a Catherine, the name meaning “pure” which she is shown not to be from the very beginning.
On Renown Allegory Of East Of Eden By John Steinbeck
653 Words | 3 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s renown allegory East of Eden explores the characteristics of human nature, including the potent principle of free will. Steinbeck’s use of rhetorical strategies throughout the passage enables him to illustrate his message, emphasizing the significance of creativity in the essence of humanity and the threats against it. Steinbeck utilizes various elements of vivid language, rhetorical appeal, and style to elucidate his argument, urging individuals to fight for their free will and to assert their individuality. Steinbeck’s use of metaphor in the first paragraph depicts the extent of the significance of free will through his vivid comparison of individuality to the “glory [that] lights up the mind of a man.” (Steinbeck 1)
Archetypes In East Of Eden
471 Words | 2 PagesFrom the publication of East of Eden to today the rights and empowerment of women have escalated exponentially. Women are no longer obligated to follow the nurturing mother ideal; they can be independent and strong. Then, in the novel, East of Eden, some believe the author oversimplifies his female characters by filing them into either traditional, caring mothers or heinous villains. However, Steinbeck utilizes their simple, one-dimensional archetypes to show how complex his female roles truly are through subtle details.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Jonathan Edwards Sinners In The Hand Of An Angry God
404 Words | 2 PagesRhetorical Analysis of Jonathan edwards’s Sinners in the hand of an angry god: jeremiad Jonathan edwards, is known as one of the most important religious figures of the great awakening, edwards became known for his zealous sermon “sinners at the hand of an angry god”. During his sermon he implies that if his congregation does not repent to christ they are in “danger of great wrath and infinite misery”. Throughout this sermon edwards uses literary devices such as strong diction, powerful syntax and juxtaposition to save his congregation from eternal damnation. Throughout Edwards’s sermon the use of turgid diction is exceedingly prevalent.
How Does Steinbeck Use Biblical Allusions In Cannery Row
244 Words | 1 PagesIn “Steinbeck's Cannery Row: The Gospel According to John,” Charles L. Etheridge Jr. explains his formalist viewpoint on how Steinbeck’s biblical allusions in Cannery Row helped establish his theology. Etheridge references Steinbeck’s use of the biblical theme of light in the first section of the novel and how Steinbeck’s “objective narration” (Etheridge 2) presents itself in Cannery Row. Steinbeck also presents a straightforward biblical allusion through rendition of the Lord being in nature and balancing life. Likewise, Etheridge mentions how Steinbeck uses the tide pool in Cannery Row as a microcosm of the real world and as a metaphor for life creating other life.
Steinbeck's Rhetorical Strategies
309 Words | 2 PagesSteinbeck’s use of rhetorical strategies throughout the passage enables him to illustrate his message about free will, emphasizing the potential and significance of timshel and creativity in the essence of humanity and the threats against it. He utilizes diction, imagery, and rhetorical appeals to elucidate his message and persuade readers of their role in asserting their individuality. Steinbeck’s use of imagery in the first paragraph illustrates the extent of the potential of free will through his vivid description of the “glory [that] lights up the mind of a man” (Steinbeck 131) and its transformative qualities. This is significant as it delineates the role of free will in humanity, defining a “man’s importance in the world.” (Steinbeck
Imagery In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
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Archetypes In The Garden Of Eden
504 Words | 3 PagesIt is noteworthy that this story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the foundation of the religion with the largest number of followers worldwide. Why does it continue to resonate with so many people even today? The reason is that this utopia contains archetypes that reflect the collective unconscious that is found across all cultures. This is the result of universal themes in this story about humanity’s needs and desires that we still see occurring in our society today. The story of Genesis contains three archetypal characteristics that illustrate these patterns that still demonstrate humanity’s needs.
Father And Son Relationships In East Of Eden, By John Steinbeck
905 Words | 4 PagesCain ended up murdering Abel out of envy of his favorable position, and that conflict is reflected through Charles and Adam Trask, and later Adam’s children Caleb and Aaron. The characters struggle with the notions of good and evil. Timshel is a repeating theme. The concept is the biblical depiction of the internal strife between good and evil that lies in each character. Adam Trask is a central character in the novel, who the reader sees mature and struggle as both a son and a father.
Cathy In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
508 Words | 3 PagesSteinbeck describes Cathy from her early childhood. He writes that she was always a strange and fascinating child. She was born as an only child to the Ames family. She was always a liar, but not like many other children lie, her lies “were not innocent” and, unlike others, “she never forgot her lies” (East of Eden 98). She also at a very young age learnt the power of sexuality and there was one incident, when she is ten years old, in which she locks herself and ties herself in the barn with two fourteen year old boys.
Grapes Of Wrath Rhetorical Analysis Essay
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Good And Evil In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
1515 Words | 7 Pages“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). John Steinbeck’s work, East of Eden, is the one he considered to be his greatest, with all novels before leading up to it. Indeed, it grandly recounts the stories of the human race as told by the Bible, including Adam and Eve, but most prominently that of Cain and Abel. It touches upon both Steinbeck’s own family and a fictional family in a depiction of “man 's capacity for both good and evil” (Fontenrose). Joseph Fontenrose, however, criticizes Steinbeck’s message as contradictory and convoluted, with no clear relationship between good and evil.
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