In John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden”, the author continuously brings up the theory of man always at war with good and evil, and ultimately having to choose which side they are on. As humans, uncertainty and confusion are two main factors to our indecisiveness. Nor is it easy when we are being engulfed by conflicting pathways and influences of others. In “East of Eden” the complex character of Cal Trask is pulled by two conflicting directions. He battles his evil ancestry, and yet tries to compete with the goodness of his perfect brother, Aaron. These influences exemplify Steinbeck’s message of the struggle between good and evil being recurring theme throughout human history. To begin, Cal faced with the struggle of good versus evil. This struggle …show more content…
Aaron, the perfect son, a smart, good-looking young man that everyone wished they could be. One thing that Aaron has that Cal doesn’t is the love and affection from others. Aaron is adored and is the light of his father’s eye, which Cal is just a piece of dust to his father. Because of the constant scrutiny and loneliness that was embodied within Cal he created a fiery rage for his brother. Though, he loved his brother, Cal began to hate himself and felt that is has grown to be evil. Since Aaron exemplified goodness and pureness, Cal did not. He could be categorized as the evil one from the twins. Shortly after a feud between the twins, Aaron enlists in the army. On the day Aaron enlists in the Army to fight in World War I, his father asks Aaron's twin brother, Cal, "Where is your brother?" and Cal answers, "How do I know? Am I supposed to look after him?" (Steinbeck 564). Cal has to basically compete with his brother. His father wants Cal to look for him, because he is the pride and joy of his eyes. Cal refuses to do what his father ordered because Adam is using him so maybe he could wonder the streets to find the most valuable person to Adam, Aaron. No longer will Cal be manipulated and be seen as a rag doll, while his brother becomes the star. He is tired of being in the background trying to fight for
He always wants to help someone else in need before himself, whereas the father is only concerned about their own personal wellbeings. He “is the one” who worries about their ethical choices and wants to help a stranger in any way he can (259). McCarthy proves the importance of the boy’s spirit of love for other people when his dad dies and he must take the leap of faith to continue along the road with a new family. Despite all the corrupted people they encountered beforehand, the boy meets someone who is “carrying the fire” (129). This mantra by the father and son, symbolizes hope and humanity. The qualities Steinbeck labels for a writer to create in his writings can be summed up in “carrying the fire” since the two never did give up. It is the greatness of the heart and spirit Steinbeck notes that is “inside [them]. [And] [i]t [is] always there” (279). It is noteworthy that even in the midst of death and ashes, the two are able to hold onto their relationship and sanity. The “good guys” can continue to carry meaning and structure in their lives, even in a time where society turned into a battle to survive on the remnants of
The battle of good versus evil is present in all aspects of life. Actions taken by people can determine how others view them. Some choose to do what is right and good, while others choose what is wrong and evil. Many characters are forced to choose between the two, and some do not foresee the consequences of their actions. In the book Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, actions committed by the Davy, Jeremiah, and Jeremiah’s friends, both good and evil, always have consequences.
The idea of good versus evil is illustrated in several ways in John Steinbeck's East of Eden. This is seen through the external conflicts in the novel, the internal conflicts of the characters, and a universal understanding of the battle between good and evil.
The color and temperature of a person’s eyes comprise the first layer of his identity. Welcoming, smiling eyes identify their owner as a friend, while angry, bitter eyes warn of a comparably biting personality. A person’s eyes show much at a first glance. In literature, they perform a more significant job, reflecting the character of the soul they guard. In developing the famously complex characters of his novel East of Eden, John Steinbeck heartily subscribed to this literary symbolism by giving special meaning to the eyes of his characters as ‘windows to the soul.’ This can be seen especially in the characters of Adam and Cathy Trask.
John Steinbeck's novel, East of Eden is the epic story of a California family who struggle to overcome issues of betrayal, infidelity, and the age old battle between good and evil and sibling rivalry. The story centers around two generations of brothers in the Trask family-Adam and Charles, and Adam's sons Aron and Cal. In each generation, one of the Trask brothers is moral and good while the other brother behaves badly and immorally. Because the good Trask brothers are favored, the bad Trask brothers develop envious tendencies and a recurrent theme of sibling rivalry appears throughout the book. Steinbeck's dramatic account of the Trask brothers and their rivalry in East of Eden is an impressive tale, but it is also a familiar one that closely echoes a
Part of the development of a human being involves acquiring the ability to classify good and evil as well as distinguishing right from wrong. It has become an inherent trait that is invariably used in our everyday lives. In John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, the main character, Grendel, seeks to find the meaning of life. Through his journey, a depiction of the forces of good and evil is revealed. Aside from being a novel about the search for the meaning of life, Grendel also suggest society’s good and evil have a meaningful and imbalanced relationship where good prevails evil yet facing evil is still critical.
Many people say that the metal of a man is found in his ability to keep his ideals in spite of anything that life can through at you. If a man is found to have done these things he can be called a hero. Through a lifelong need to accept responsibility for all living things, Robert Ross defines his heroism by keeping faith with his ideals despite the betrayal, despair and tragedy he suffers throughout the course of The Wars by Timothy Findley.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is considered a classic novel by many in the literary field. The trials and tribulations of the Joad family and other migrants is told throughout this novel. In order to gain a perspective into the lives of "Oakies", Steinbeck uses themes and language of the troubling times of the Great Depression. Some of these aspects are critiqued because of their vulgarity and adult nature. In some places, The Grapes of Wrath has been edited or banned. These challenges undermine Steinbeck's attempts to add reality to the novel and are unjustified.
Steinbeck uses the biblical story of Cain and Abel in East of Eden to show us that we do not have set fate. Steinbeck uses the Hebrew word “timshel”, which means “thou mayest”, to suggest that man has the ability to choose good or evil. “Timshel” affects the characters in East of Eden such as Cal and Aron and their choice of overcoming good or evil. Steinbeck sees this novel as his most important work, and he uses it as a way to state his personal ideas concerning mankind:“The free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.”(Steinbeck,132). Steinbeck shows God has given humans free will and their ability to choose good or evil, if they so decide. He portrays the “C” characters to be connected to Cain, such as Charles and Cal and the “A” characters to be connected to Abel, such as Aron and Adam.
McCarthy established his work to demonstrate the facts of immorality, fear, and the end of American standards in the aftermath of a terrible truth. In the novel, the shortage of resources has driven many survivors to murder, robbery, and even cannibalism. The principle of the narrative is the result of the shocking event that life is considered to nothing more than survival. Therefore, people in the region became very frustrated and are so agreeable under certain situation to hand over the most important concept in their life, which is their humanity and lose everything in order to survive. But, in every time and in every place in the world, we can find individuals who can continue to live stronger and are able to hold onto their morals in life. The father and the boy fight to keep what humanity they have left to be the good guys after they have realized that keeping humanity while surviving is important in someone’s life, While it is easier to turn to evil and become a bad
“A mother knows what her child has gone through, even if she didn’t see it herself” Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The relationship between a mother and her child is said to be the strongest bond that two people can have. I asked my mother what it was like to give birth to another human being and she said that “Having the opportunity and privilege to bring another human into this world is the highest honor and gift a person can do” Michele Dieterich. In the book,The Grapes of Wrath, Ma Joad acts as the maternal character throughout the book and relates to the theme of families stick together.
Some of the most aspiring and influential authors show to be American novelists. American novelists brought about a new style of writing, which became very popular. John Steinbeck shows this style of writing in his novel, East of Eden. This makes Steinbeck one of the most significant American novelists in the twentieth century. East of Eden contains many parts, which add detail and interest to the novel. Many of Steinbeck’s novels and other works remain and continue to be nationally acclaimed. Many elements exist in East of Eden that bring about the meaning and concept of the novel. The study of John Steinbeck and his book, East of Eden, will help the reader better understand the element of fiction and interpret the meaning of the work.
Family is a very dominate aspect in the stories that were read for this class. Especially in William Faulkner’s story, “Barn Burning,” where the blood should bond a family together forever no matter what happens. In F. Scotts Fitzgerald story of “Babylon Revisited,” a man wants to get his daughter back. In both of these stories each man experiences a sense of loss. In the barn burning, the love between a father and a son should be based on genuine respect, love, loyalty, and admiration. This is not what happened. Blood was the most important aspect. Throughout this story the boy just wants to gain his father’s admiration, but in doing so he loses his blood tie with his father. In Barn burning, Sarty’s father is being tried, but since there is no evidence to prove that he did it, he is ordered to the leave the country. A very harsh image of Sarty’s father is presented when “he followed the stiff black coat, the wire figure walking a little stiffly from where a Confederate provost’s man’s musket ball had taken him in the heel on a stolen horse thirty years ago. ” His son, knows that his father has never been a law abiding. Therefore the bond between them has been broken. It is hard for Sarty to have a sense of loyalty to his father and to do what is right especially when he knows that his father’s actions are wrong. Sarty alludes to Mr. Harris as “his father’s enemy (our enemy he thought in that despair, orn, mine and hisn both! He’s my father! ” Even with the accusations that were against his father Sarty still feels like he should protect his father. “The old fierce pull of blood” is what is preventing him from turning in his father. So here the Sarty is very torn on what he should do, but the blood binding between is father and h...
Adam and Eve had a perfect Garden of Eden, until Eve ate the apple and contaminated the garden. In being tricked by the snake, Eve betrayed God’s word. Mankind has often betrayed others because of the darkness in their heart. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses Phineas as a sacrificial lamb to portray Gene’s savage side and demonstrate that peace can never be achieved at a worldwide level until man accepts the darkness in his own heart.
...the root of all evil, and that the true root of all evil is actually greed. The reason this could be considered true is because money is essentially an object that created by people. It is not the money that can be seen as evil, it is the greed people possess to obtain money. Even if money did not exist greed would still be around, it just would not be powered by money. But in this particular setting the evil is in fact money. Furthermore, Steinbeck displays how the love money can be good in some cases but it also has a downside to it. Money creates a sense of jealousy, immoral, and in extreme terms just plain evil. Kino's discovery of the pearl could have brought him an unending amount of wealth and happiness but instead, it led to the death of his son and enabled him to kill a man unjustly.