East of Eden: Cathy

We had a long class discussion about Cathy a few weeks ago, and we were trying to figure out why she is so utterly evil.  Steinbeck called her a monster, and believed she was missing something, but didn't really know what.  I think she's missing timshel.  She is totally incapable of seeing the good things in life, so how is she supposed to realize she has an option other than her depraved lifestyle? What I don't understand is how she lost that element- her family wasn't abusive and her childhood was normal besides her eccentric habits.  How does someone lose their ability to see the good in people and in life?

East of Eden: Timshel

It took the entire book, but I finally figured out the connection between Eden, Cain and Abel, and East of Eden.  In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had everything they could have ever wanted, but eventually doubts crept into their minds (courtesy of Satan), and they had a choice: trust God or choose knowledge.  That was the first instance of timshel, the great choice.  The choice shows up again with Cain and Abel- "thou mayest" gives us options.  There is no command, no far-away destiny, just a choice that promises greatness to the man who is able to choose the good. Every character in East of Eden struggles in their own way to choose their goodness over evil.  That is, all except Cathy.  But I'll focus on that in another blog.  Anyway, it was a small epiphany when I finally connected the choice in Eden with the book- everything made more sense.

East of Eden: Samuel

My favorite character in East of Eden is definitely Samuel Hamilton. He's the only character with any depth besides Cathy. He understands people and is able to make them feel comfortable just by talking with them; the prime example is how Samuel draws Lee out from behind his mask of ignorance. Samuel has the rare gift of hope: he knows his land is desolate and barren, yet he works it tirelessly; he knows the troubles and challenges of his children, and believes the best of them; he knows the hopelessness of Adam Trask, but he never gives up on him. I like the hope Samuel brings with him wherever he goes.