East of Eden by john Steinbeck - a book review

Book 1

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

If one would ask me what was the story of East of Eden? I would quote Steinbeck himself of his answer to another question in this book, which is: what is the story of the world?

“I believe that there is one story in the world, only one, that has frightened and inspired us, so that we live in pearl white serial of continuing thoughts and wonder, Humans are caught -in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too -in a net of good and evil. I think this is the only story we have and it occurs in all levels of feelings and intelligence. Virtue and vice are warp and woof of our first consciousness, and they will be the fabric of our last, and this despite any changes we may impose on the field and river and mountain, on economy and manners. There is no other story. A man, after he brushed of the dust and chips of his life will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well -or ill? “

This answer cannot be wrong in the case of any story, but especially in this case.  In regards to the story of Trasks, and Hamiltons and the people of Salinas valley and the chink it cannot be any more right. Then the following question would be: if the story is about good and evil, whose story is it? The short answer would be Adam Trask or Caleb Trask(like the James dean’s movie). But that would be just skimming the surface of the pages. Most people (rather than the characters) had a beginning and an end in the story. Cyrus Trask, Charles Trask, Cathy Trask, Samuel Hamilton, Lisa Hamilton, Will Hamilton, Tom Hamilton, Dessie Hamilton, Lee, Aaron Trask, Abra bacon, Mr. Edwards and even Joe valery wasn’t merely spectators, they had their own arcs with ends and beginnings. 

Another reason for perceiving the book being the story of more than two persons is the beautiful descriptive nature of Steinbeck’s writing. He with his words feeds the readers with much of the characters' appearances, mannerisms, and even the secrets. Reading the lines and passages about the characters makes you suspect that he created characters, made them people and then told their story and not the other way around.
 

Cain and Able

Story of Cain and Able from Genesis 4 of the bible is the biggest influence in the book. It was such a major part that there was a separate chapter dedicated to retell the story and then to understand it. Later Lee put forth a new meaning to it, when he roots the original version of the verse from the Hebrew bible from which the subsequent versions replaced (allegedly) the word “thou mayest” with “thou shalt”. Thereby Lee, through him Steinbeck shared the idea that the men have not a promise but a choice to triumph over evil. This idea of choice or not having one crippled Charles Trask to be his own man but always trying to win his father’s affection whereas, at the end, the acknowledgment of the same idea by Adam made Caleb a free man. The novel also blames favoritism as a serious blunder capable of serious harm even if unintended first through Cyrus and then with Adam. 

Another example that shows how the Cain-Able story sink deep into East of Eden is the presence of the Atronyms with the initials “C” (Charles, Cyrus, Cathy and Caleb) and “A” (Adam, Aaron) that Steinbeck implied to clearly differentiate the scent of evil and goodness in its bearer to his readers.

The title “East of Eden” which is the Land of Nod from Genesis 4:16 where Cain was exiled to, as the punishment for his crime puts Salinas valley into metaphysical scrutiny. Not only did the biblical city share structural similarities but also had similarities in its content, which are its people. Steinbeck took great care in writing the character in such a way that they were not creatures of all good or all evil. Even Cathy with whom he personified evil as she allured young boys to give in to the pleasure of the skin, coerced her bible loving teacher to towards sexual desire, burned her parents alive, shot her husband, abandoned her new borne twin-children, poisoned an old lady who loved her like a daughter and endowed her whore house and lied and stole and cheated and whored all along the way have shown a tint of love or affection towards her son Aron before her eventual suicide. 

And through Cathy's demise, he expressed that only an empty and hollow end awaits the ones who lead a life of evil. At the same time stressing the existence of choice against evil within every man and the path of good through which a man can live even after his physical self turn to dust by being in the memories and in the shared goodness of the people he have left.

Conclusion

East of Eden is a microcosm of everything a man might experience in his life. It can be seen as scripture with imperfect people and as a manner book. As it was intended to be that, written by Steinbeck for his sons as a moral paradigm (as Barbara A. heavilin would put it).  

Reference –

Stienbeck, John. East of Eden penguin edition

Holy bible (kjv) – Henderson bibles

Heavilin, Barbara A. East of Eden as a Moral Paradigm