The Theme Of Good And Evil In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
The concept of good and evil can be defined as ideas of complete opposites. A person that is good can be described as a person with virtuous morals and beliefs. In contrast, a person that is bad can be described as a person with atrocious morals and beliefs. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck claims that all human thoughts and actions can be narrowed down to a single theme of good and evil; he makes the assertion that a person can only be judged as such after that person has died. When a person dies, his or her traits of virtue and vice are absolute. If a person has qualities of vice, they cannot have qualities of virtue and vice versa. All of these judgments are easily made while a person is alive. However, if the person is dead, it is nearly …show more content…
This is evident in John Proctor as he was viewed as an evil person by the members of the court. His ideals were of virtue but his character overall was seen as one of vice. Even though he was deemed evil, John Proctor remained true to his ideals as he “tears the [confession paper] and crumples it” (Miller 151). In this case, John Proctor was presented with the opportunity to publicly prove that he is good with the price of his name. However, he remained loyal to his sense of goodness and tore up the document. John Proctor’s execution followed his decision. Although he was deemed evil, John Proctor cannot be judged as good or evil after his death. Proctor decided to remain loyal to his ideals that his beliefs of honesty were worth more than his life, ultimately proving that his actions cannot be judged as good or evil after his death. Cathy Ames from John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden is also a prime example of this. Cathy was known to be a person of pure evil. Cathy “made people uneasy… And since this had always been so, Cathy did not find it strange” (Steinbeck 72-73). Even though people saw Cathy with a troubling look, she chose not to care. Although Cathy was predominantly evil, she expressed the ideals that she believed in. She refused to let others cause her to stray away from her ideals and practices. As a result, Cathy cannot be judged. Both Cathy and John Proctor died while remaining loyal to their ideals, thus making it difficult to judge the
The Crucible: John Proctor As A Hero
362 Words | 2 PagesWhen Danforth tells Proctor he has not sold his freinds, Proctor states, “Beguile me not! I displays that Proctor is a hero because he is blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence!”(Miller, 132). This incident displays that Proctor is a hero because he is willing to incriminate himself to save his friends because of an affair he decided to have with Abigail that led to her speaking blasphemously about Witchcraft in order to become Proctor’s wife. This exhibits honesty and supportiveness, Proctor himself could’ve stayed out of the trial, but he refused to let Abigail falsely incriminate his society, so he takes a stand. John Proctor is a tragic hero because he stood for a good cause and feels remorse knowing that if he had told the court that he had an affair with Abigail earlier, they wouldn’t have killed off prominent members of their society.
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1033 Words | 5 PagesVirtue is not something that occurs by avoiding evil, it comes when you decide to conform to morality and to what is
The Crucible Rough Draft Analysis
700 Words | 3 PagesIn conclusion, John Proctor had a lot of guilt thought out the Crucible for having an affair with Abigail and hurting his wife Elizabeth because of the affair with Abigail. There is a lot of people that put guilt on themselves and on others. Guilty controls a lot of people’s actions in the Crucible of example John Proctor had a lot of guilt for admitting
John Proctor Sacrifice In The Crucible
705 Words | 3 PagesJohn Proctor didn’t want his name to be the ruined because he felt that was all he had left. John Proctor was tragically killed for a sin he had not committed but was found a hero because people followed in his footsteps by not confessing to something they didn’t do. “A tragic hero is a character
Life Or Death: Did John Proctor Make The Right Decision?
1158 Words | 5 PagesLife or Death: Did John Proctor Make the Right Decision? Countless people have learned about the lies and horrors of witches in 1692 during the Salem Witch trials. In The Crucible, a tragedy written by Arthur Miller, it displays the tragedy and wrongful convictions of the townsfolk of Salem. One notable character being John Proctor a well respected upperclassman in Salem who was willing to confess his sins, sacrificing his life for the greater good of his family and friends. There are many reasons people choose to do things in life whether or not they will turn out well in the end.
To What Extent Is John Proctor A Tragic Hero
570 Words | 3 PagesAs act III progresses Mary Warren decides to turn on Proctor saying, “John Proctor you are the Devil’s man” (Miller 121) and “I will not hang with you I love God…” (Miller 121)which then causes Proctor to lash out in rage against her lies. The court marshals arrest John and place him in jail, where Arthur Miller says they have to chain him because he throws fits of rage and he then sits like “a great bird”. (Miller 151) All of those events leads up to Proctors Tragic Flaw, which is pride. Proctors pride inevitably leads to his death because he won’t give up the good name to live out his life with his wife and children.
John Proctor's Flaws In The Crucible
973 Words | 4 PagesThe play The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on true events of the Salem Witchcraft Trials but is changed in some parts to make it a better story. One exaggerated part of the play is a character named John Proctor, who has an affair with a girl named Abigale and is trying to stop the Salem Witchcraft Trials because he knows that the afflicted girls are false. While he is trying to stop the trials he ends up being accused and is hanged because he would not “confess” to being a witch. Some people think John Proctor is a flawed person because he made a lot of poor decisions, but he is actually an honorable person because he tried to make up for his mistakes. Some people think John Proctor is a flawed person because he had an affair with a younger girl named Abigale
John Proctor Conflict In The Crucible
302 Words | 2 PagesHe realized that he didn’t need the support from his wife to make the most honorable decision. John was hung for not confessing. Yet, his legacy of fighting for what you believe in still prevailed. Proctor’s death displayed great perseverance, which is an attribute, reflected in the American
Father And Son Relationships In East Of Eden, By John Steinbeck
905 Words | 4 PagesEast of Eden, by John Steinbeck, reflects the complexities in father/son relationships. The connection between a father and his son is vital to their development. The novel explores the impact of these relations is immense. The central allusion of the novel is comparing several characters to Cain and Abel, who were formed through their attempted relationship with their father-like figure, God. They struggled and vied for the attention, love, and respect of God, which subconsciously influenced their actions and thoughts.
John Proctor's Weakness In The Crucible
912 Words | 4 PagesJohn Proctor's main flaw was his excessive pride which sealed his fate. I myself felt his death transformed Salem’s ways of thinking and increased their own knowledge. Proctor's life completely started going downhill when Abigail accused John’s loved ones who then were sent to jail, or executed. John Proctor was a man of goodness and pride which cleansed his soul after he suffered a tragic death, and became a symbol of purity and greatness for others to
The Qualities Of John Proctor In The Crucible
835 Words | 4 PagesJohn Proctor is a good man despite anything others may say about him. He displays three very noble qualities throughout the witch trials which are bravery, honesty, and an overall goal to save lives even to the point where he sacrificed his. While many argue John is a bad man because he committed adultery they are entirely mistaken. Just because he had one bad sin gives no right to anybody to call him a bad person when clearly the good side of him is shown more than the bad. John Proctor is a good man who displays the characteristics of a hero and could be seen as one for giving his life for his friends.
Is John Proctor Justified In The Crucible
967 Words | 4 PagesIn the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is accused of performing witchcraft and contracting with the Devil. He is faced with the decision to either confess to or deny the accusations. Ultimately, Proctor chooses to deny the accusations and dies a martyr. Proctor’s decision to sacrifice himself is justified because he protected the reputation of those who died and risked being arrested to save his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor’s death is justified because he was willing to sacrifice his life to protect the reputation of others.
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.
Good And Evil In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
1515 Words | 7 PagesIn the novel East of Eden, contrary to Fontenrose’s criticism, Steinbeck portrays the relationship between good and evil as an inherent part of the human condition, shown through his characters as they struggle with their choices and ultimate path, providing an understanding of humanity within the biblical struggle generation after generation must face. Steinbeck delineates good and evil as attributes present in everyone, existing from birth, and asserts that both are resolute and immutable in their existence. “Humans are caught… in a net of good and evil,” (Steinbeck 413). From the moment Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, humans were doomed to have both good and evil inside of them, without any ability to truly overcome the evil. Though Fontenrose supplies valid points in that Steinbeck uses the
Evaluating Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
1495 Words | 6 PagesThose who commit wicked acts because they can not see what is truly good have a skewed point of view for a reason. Their character is tainted by vice because they have habitually committed vicious acts in the past. Since they originally had a conscience, they must have willingly committed wrongdoing to warp their perception of what is good. Therefore, those who pursue an apparent good but commit wrong acts, due to a skewed appearance of what is good, are still responsible for their
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