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.
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Your commentary on the novel is so dead on! I agree with you in your analysis of the depth of the characters. The descriptions throughout the novel of each character was very convincing and as you so correctly put, tangible. I could almost feel the sinister nature of Cathy's character around me every time I read about her. I also agree with you that the use of the Biblical allusion was blatant. However, I do feel that it brought a more modern interpretation to the well read tale. I think that the direct Biblical allusion shows readers how the stories of the Bible are not as foreign as they may at time seem. I like your interpretation of Lee possibly being the the outlet for Steinbeck's personal thoughts and opinions. I was wondering if you think that Steinbeck possibly included the part in which he describes how his sister wanted to be a boy to tie in with the theme of Cain and Aron? I was thinking Steinbeck could be Abel, already having the admiration for what he was and his sister would be Cain, trying to be accepted as something she was not but wanted to be? I am not sure if that made any sense at all but it is just a thought. Overall, great well written review!
ReplyDeleteI loved Cathy too! Although she was devious and cruel, she was such a strong- willed character, and definitely the most interesting! I completely agree too when you said that Steinbeck makes his characters realistic, for he never added anything too peculiar to his characters, which would make them seem dull, but they seemed so carefully thought out and you could always see the different options they were thinking of whenever they came across a problem due to such lengthy characterization. You were also made a very good point that the characters Aron and Caleb weren't very creative in the aspect that they are so like Cain and Abel. However, I believe that Steinbeck wanted to get across the point that not just biblical figures aren't the only ones who carry such flaws, but that many other people in the world have the same traits. Steinbeck must have felt that it was and important enough message to get across that he wanted everyone to see the message as clearly as possible.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you, however, on how you disliked his long commentary on smaller characters. On the contrary, I liked how it helped to show that Cathy did not only affect main characters, but really opened up to the idea that she affected whomever she came in contact with.
As for Lee, I was not sure about it, but wasn't he faking his accent? On the top of page 161, Lee was talking to Samuel and it said it almost looked like he transformed from something foreign to someone more familiar, and his dialect changed. Do you think Steinbeck had a hidden message with this seemingly little character?
Andrea- I agree with you that Steinbeck's modern twist takes a Biblical tale, expands upon it, and makes it much more accessible. As for the sister, are you referring to Mary? I think that applying the Cain and Abel theory to Steinbeck and Mary would be something of a stretch, but it is something that never even crossed my mind and I think it would be really neat if it were true:) That is part of the reason book discussions are really beneficial- you get to view the novel in many different perspectives.
ReplyDeleteEmily- Yeah, Lee was most definitely faking his accent. When Samuel inquires about it, Lee responds that if once when he stopped using an accent, "'To the so-called whites [he] was still a Chinese, but an untrustworthy one; and at the same time [his] Chinese friends steered clear of [him]"(162).