Personal Review

     It is no surprise that East of Eden is considered by many to be classic. Not only is it a virtual tableau of early (to mid) 20th century America, but it contains universal themes such as family conflict (especially sibling rivalry) the desire to be accepted and good vs. evil, all of which remain applicable today. The most striking quality of Steinbeck’s novel however, is the depth of his characterization. Both protagonists and antagonists alike are so well developed as to seem almost real. The calculating, manipulative Cathy oozes a malice that is nearly tangible just as Aron’s righteousness and naïveté radiates with an inner light that is practically visible. What makes Steinbeck’s cast of characters unique from other authors is decidedly their startling realism. While Steinbeck did a remarkable job fleshing out his characters, he was prone to getting too carried away at times.
    There were several instances throughout the book when he rambled on about minor characters that had little significance, not doing much, if anything to move the story along. Another perceptible flaw was the author’s tendency to blatantly announce the presence of a Biblical allusion. While Steinbeck’s use of Caleb and Aron (as well as Charles and Adam) Trask as walking symbols of Cain and Abel was appealing, the direct quotations from the bible was a bit overdone.
    A unique aspect of East of Eden was the use of the character Lee, the Chinese servant as a fountain of wisdom. While Steinbeck may have been indulging in a stereotype by portraying an Asian character as a sage individual never at a loss for astute aphorisms, he was a likeable personage nonetheless. I would even venture to say that it is likely that Steinbeck used Lee as a means of sharing his own personal opinions and beliefs and that the maxims were manifestations of the author’s morals. While East of Eden is not depressing, some might be put off by the dark nature of the novel that is so unlike the escapist stories that constituted literature a mere decade before.

Text Connections

     One significant text connection is text-to-world, in which it became evident that Steinbeck’s primary antagonist, Cathy, shared the same beliefs about mankind as the infamous English philosopher Thomas Hobbes who popularized the idea that humans are intrinsically selfish beings. Cathy, who is not interested in keeping pretenses, does nothing to hide her own self-seeking disposition, although her charming, doll-like physique ultimately provides a façade for her. Upon recalling an anecdote she explains, “When I was a little girl I knew what stupid lying fools they were- my own mother and father pretending goodness”(319).
    Cathy seems to be under the impression that anyone who displays the qualities of an upright individual are merely putting on an act, that it is all a charade. This frustration with what she assumes to be the superficiality of humankind most likely stems from the evil that brews within her; because she herself is incapable of feeling love, Cathy presumes that everyone else is too. She is living proof of Hobbes’ other belief- that humans left to their own devices will ultimately pave a path of destruction. Cathy so detests her parents, whom she is convinced are frauds, that she burns her house down while they are inside and leads the townsfolk to believe that she perished in the fire as well. Due to the fact that she thinks everyone is wicked, Cathy has no reservations whatsoever in playing puppet master while her fellow acquaintances dangle helplessly on the strings.

Syntax

• You’re not clever. You don’t know what you want. You have no proper fierceness. You let other people walk all over you… Does that answer your question? I love you better. I always have”(27).
• “Well had anything or anybody really touched Kate- really got through and soiled her? Certainly not... Inside she was intact-as clean and bright as the boy Alec”(509).
• “Pure!... Just absolutely pure-never a bad thing. I’m not like that”(493).
     Steinbeck frequently employs succinct syntax alongside loose and periodic sentences to further establish his style and tone. The short, irregular syntax complements the somber tone. The sparse, almost austere diction can be attributed to the despondent state of the characters, who, numb from the misery they encounter in their daily lives, are unwilling to share more than they must. Due to the fact that the dialogue is concise, or dare I say terse, it enables the author to provide more clarity. When ideas and opinions are stated matter-of-factly, they often have more of an impact. Cyrus’ declaration of love for his son for example is stated somewhat brusquely, but is powerful nonetheless. The brevity of his monologue reveals that he is not a sentimental man, lending magnitude to an already profound remark.
     Abra’s disgust at being envisioned as a paradigm of virtue (as illustrated by the second example) is heightened by Steinbeck’s employment of repetition. The successive appearance of the word “pure” creates an emphasis that provides the reader with insight into the depth of her revulsion. Additionally, the inclusion of the periodic sentence with the ending clause “never a bad thing” serves in further exemplifying the effect of the rose-colored glasses through which Aron views her. The reader witnesses this emphasis yet again when Steinbeck uses a loose sentence, “Inside she was intact-as clean and bright as the boy Alec”(509). Kate constructs this last phrase of additional evidence during her inner monologue to reassure herself that she is indeed pure.

Diction

• “It was a grim farm and a grim house, unloved and unloving”(63).
• “Adam Trask grew up in grayness… his days a slow file of half-sorrows and sick dissatisfactions”(131).
• “There’s a blackness on this valley… I can feel it cutting off the sun… as though some old ghost haunted it out of the dead ocean below and troubled the air with unhappiness”(175).
• “…the world sadness that rises into the soul like gas and spreads despair…”(175).
• “Burned in his mind was an image of beauty and tenderness… sweet and holy”(132).
• “He wished for words like his father’s words, sweet winged words, cooing and lovely”(278).

     Steinbeck employs diction such as “grim,” “dark and somber,” “half-sorrows and sick dissatisfactions,” “blackness,” “despair” and “misery” in many passages throughout the novel that establishes a bleak, ominous tone. His selection of language aptly depicts the turbulent emotional states of characters like Adam and Tom who are broken by loss. Steinbeck’s diction also sets the mood for future events, effectively foreshadowing the additional havoc characters like Cathy will soon wreak on the once tranquil Salinas Valley.
     The examples of diction mentioned above are primarily abstract, which allows Steinbeck to illustrate a concept rather than simply stating it (therefore amplifying the tone). Despite the fact that the author’s selection of language creates a despondent tone, despair is closely followed by tentative hope. For example, although, “Adam grew up in grayness”(131), it was not long until, “Adam sat like a contented cat on his land”(154). Therefore, the overall tone of the novel is foreboding laced with optimism.

Rhetorical Strategies

• Juxtaposition
• Imagery
• Aphorism

     Steinbeck utilizes an array of rhetorical strategies that define his lucid style. For example, the author employs juxtaposition to describe the contrast between the two brothers- Caleb and Aron. He asserts that, “On one side you have warmth and companionship and sweet understanding, and on the other- cold lonely greatness” (263). By using this rhetorical strategy, Steinbeck is able to explicitly describe the personalities of the siblings, whilst illustrating the stark disparities, almost akin to light and dark, between them.
     He also provides clarity via imagery, in which he offers insight into the psyche of twisted characters such as, “Cathy [who] had always been able to shovel into the mind of any man and dig up his impulses and his desires”(159). In this passage, Steinbeck is able to clearly and elegantly convey Cathy’s manipulative tendencies by using language that practically paints a picture in the mind of the reader.
     Aphorism is yet another prominent, recurring device found throughout the novel. These concise truisms, spouted most often by Lee are instrumental in supplying coherent ideas that apply to all people or life in general, but are most poignant when applied to misunderstood characters. In one memorable instance, Lee claimed that, “The greatest terror a child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears”(268). By elucidating Cal’s foremost fear openly, Steinbeck is able to shed some light on his most enigmatic character using unvarnished prose.