East of Eden

John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden (1952) is truly epic, spanning three generations and the period from the American Civil War up until World War I. However, the story at the novel's heart is timeless, as it features the battle between good and evil. Here we will look at the plot and analyse some of the themes of what Steinbeck considered his 'Magnum Opus'.

East of Eden (1952): book

Written after World War II and published in 1952. John Steinbeck's fictional novel, The East of Eden (1952), explores the theme of good and evil, mainly whether one can be born evil or simply has evil thrust upon them. As the title of the book suggests, the book leans heavily on the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The novel is epic in scale, spanning three generations of the Trask family, from the American Civil War until the end of World War I.

Steinbeck's novel was immensely popular with the reading public. Critics however, were less gushing; finding the novel's morality tale overly simplistic. This did not stop the book from becoming a bestseller. Within three years, East of Eden had a film adaptation starring James Dean. Dean was nominated for a posthumous Oscar for his role in the film. Despite many critics disliking the novel at the time, it is now regarded as a classic of twentieth-century American Literature.

East of Eden: plot summary

Adam and Charles Trask inherit a large sum of money from their father Cyrus. Cyrus was a veteran of the American Civil war and had earned his money through dishonest means. One day a prostitute, Cathy Ames, turns up on their doorstep badly beaten and unconscious. Adam takes pity on Cathy but Charles distrusts the stranger. Adam falls madly in love with Cathy despite evidence suggesting she could be dishonest and cruel. Cathy and Adam get married but when Adam is away Cathy seduces Charles. Soon Cathy is pregnant and unable to determine who the father is.

The newlywed couple buys fertile farmland in Salinas Valley, California. Cathy tries an impromptu abortion but fails. Adam is still unaware of Cathy's questionable behaviour and betrayal. Cathy insists that she does not wish to be married or be a mother. Despite her attempts at abortion, Cathy gives birth to twin baby boys. She attempts to leave the farm, but she shoots Adam in the shoulder when he prevents her from doing so. Cathy leaves Adam for dead with the two children.

Adam Trask suffers from depression after being shot and left by Cathy. It takes neighbour, Sam Hamilton and Chinese servant Lee to help him recover. Eventually, Adam acknowledges his two boys and decides to name them Caleb and Aaron. As the children grow up they appear to have distinct, contrasting personalities. Aaron is seen as handsome and good while Caleb is darker with a capacity for meanness. As Sam Hamilton nears the end of his life, he tells Adam that Cathy is working in a brothel in the city of Salinas.

The City of Salinas, where the Trask family eventually move.

Adam visits Cathy at her brothel in Salinas. The visit proves cathartic for Adam as he realises that he no longer has feelings for her. Adam realises that Cathy is cruel and inhumane and this newfound freedom makes him happy. This infuriates Cathy but Adam remains sedate and leaves her be. The Trask family move to the city so that the boys can go to school.

At school, Aaron Trask meets Abra Bacon and falls in love. Caleb meanwhile becomes increasingly isolated and disturbed. Having heard that his mother may still be alive, Caleb visits her brothel when drunk one day. He keeps this information from Aaron, knowing that the news would hurt his brother deeply. Adam loses the family's money investing poorly in refrigeration. Caleb vows to get his father's money back while Aaron goes to college.

Caleb succeeds in getting his father's money by exploiting both farmers and the U.S army by selling beans. Taking advantage of the increasing conflict during World War I, his actions echo his grandfather's dishonesty during the Civil War. During thanksgiving, when Aaron returns to the Trask house Caleb gives Adam the money as a gift. Adam is disgusted by the gift and the way that Caleb has earned it. Adam pleads with Caleb to make him as proud as Aaron does.

Hurt by his father's rejection, Caleb takes Aaron to their mother's brothel. Aaron is distraught by the news and the next day he enlists in the army. Aaron dies in conflict and Adam has a stroke upon hearing the news. Lee, the Trask's trusted Chinese servant convinces Adam to forgive Caleb on his deathbed. Adam's forgiveness absolves Caleb of his guilt and allows him to possibly live a good life.

East of Eden: John Steinbeck

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr was born in Salinas, California on the 27th of February 1902. While young, Steinbeck worked as a ranch hand alongside migrant workers. This experience possibly influenced Steinbeck's most successful novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1939). The Grapes of Wrath won John Steinbeck both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

John Steinbeck attended Stanford University in 1920 but never graduated. He left Stanford for New York in the hopes of becoming a writer. However, he found little success in New York and soon returned to California. After his first three novels were published to little attention, Steinbeck worked as a caretaker to make ends meet. It was John Steinbeck's fourth novel, Tortilla Flat (1935) that brought him recognition as a writer.

From then on Steinbeck enjoyed popularity and literary acclaim. Books such as Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath were popular with both critics and readers. In 1952, Steinbeck published what he considered his magnum opus, East of Eden. John Steinbeck was awarded the esteemed Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. In 1968, John Steinbeck died of heart failure in New York City.

East of Eden: analysis

In this section, we will look at the themes of John Steinbeck's novel, East of Eden.

Good and evil

East of Eden is essentially a morality tale about good versus evil. Whether one can be born inherently good or evil and how this conflict determines our humanity. These opposing forces present themselves throughout the novel. In the relationships of both sets of brothers and the relationship between Cathy Ames and Adam Trask.

In Cathy, we see a character who, through her actions, can be considered evil. She kills both her parents in a fire and goes on the shoot Adam and kill the brothel madam she works for. Her husband Adam, on the other hand, could be considered almost too good. He is even described as such by the character Lee, Adam's Chinese servant. Adam refuses to recognise his wife's cruelty. Their marriage can be seen to represent the novel's prevalent theme.

The same conflict can be seen in their children, Caleb and Aaron. Caleb is brooding and insular while Aaron is seen as bright and handsome. Caleb learns early on about his mother and fears that he may take after her. He is jealous of Aaron who he believes possesses a certain degree of goodness that Caleb could never have. This jealousy is further compounded by Adam Trask's attitude towards the two of them.

Although the reader is presented with what seems like a straightforward morality tale, the author suggests otherwise. Many members of the Trask household reflect on the Hebrew word 'timshel'. 'Timshel' roughly translates to 'thou mayest', it is used in the biblical story of Cain and Abel. In the story, Cain kills Abel out of jealousy and God tells Cain 'thou mayest' overcome sin. In the novel, it is Adam's last word to Caleb before he dies. Suggesting that it is possible for Caleb to overcome his dark thoughts and become a good person.

Religion

There a various references to the biblical story of Cain and Abel in Steinbeck's novel. The title 'East of Eden' takes its name from the very story. Cain is exiled to the land of nod after disobeying God, the land of nod lies 'east of Eden'. This could also refer to the plight of the novel's characters, finding themselves cast out of paradise.

There are also parallels between the two sets of Trask brothers and those from the bible. Charles, like Cain, is a farmer and they are both jealous of the love their brothers receive from their father. This is repeated in the second generation of brothers. Caleb, like Cain and Charles before him, is jealous of Aaron. Charles attacks Adam and Caleb essentially kills Aaron by informing him of their mother. Both these acts occur after Charles and Caleb's gifts are rejected by their fathers.

Cain and Abel have similarities to the two sets of brothers in East of Eden.

This quote is from Sam Hamilton's reasoning to Adam Trask in order to stir him from depression. He explains that Adam needs to face certain facts about Cathy in order for him to heal. In the end, Sam convinces Adam to have the courage to forget about his wife.