John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

1460 Words6 Pages
East of Eden is a reflection of biblical stories and beliefs because two major themes throughout the story are fate and overcoming sin. Lee was able to discover a new meaning to a scene in the Bible where God tells Cain " 'if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.' "(Steinbeck 351) Lee and the others discovered a new translation to “thou shalt,” which is a Hebrew word “timshel.” “Timshel” means “thou mayest,” which implies that people have a choice in their actions and whether or not they overcome sin. Several characters also struggle over the fates destined to them, like Charles trying to reconnect with Adam and Cal trying to overcome the “evil” that was passed on to him…show more content…
People who view their lives as predestined and controlled by their ancestor’s actions will inevitably fall into that role, while people who attempt to break free from that mold will eventually do so. Most of the specific allusions in East of Eden are related to the story of Cain and Abel. In the story, Cain is a farmer while Abel is a shepherd. This is partially represented by Charles and Adam, as Charles becomes a…show more content…
Even Salinas Valley is split in half, with the East being light, cheerful, and “good,” while the West is dark, gloomy, and “evil.” The Trask family also exemplifies this, as Charles is violent and unpredictable while Adam is kind to a fault and gentle, and Cal is dark and brooding while Aron is innocent and sweet. None of these characters and places can exist without their other half. Salinas Valley can’t exist without the other half of it, and one half must be in darkness for the other to be considered bright. Charles and Adam have to have each other, otherwise their lives would have turned out completely different. Cal and Aron are the most tightly interwoven, as without Aron Cal would have never decided to try and overcome the “evil” that he seemed destined for and Aron’s naivety would have eventually harmed him without Cal there to shelter and protect him. Another recurring theme in the novel is the freedom to choose your own path. Several characters that struggle to break free from the sins they inherited from their ancestors and Lee’s quest for “thou mayest” exemplify this theme. Charles starts out as vicious and jealous, but later in life he realizes that he doesn’t want to be like that and changes into a farmer who longs for the times when Adam is home with him. Cal, after discovering who his mother is, tries to reconcile
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