Analysis Of East Of Eden By John Steinbeck

As children, we often mimic those around us- whether it may be our parents, siblings, or even friends. We usually pick up some traits or mannerisms that they do without even noticing. There are many factors that make up a person. People are similarly born in the same conditions, but as they grow up, they become introduced to new people and therefore learn new things. In John Steinbeck’s, East of Eden, he develops the theme, that all people are born good, but they are heavily influenced by their surroundings. Many of the characters in the novel, such as the Trask family, experience this. The men of the Trask family all live together but develop differently based on their surroundings and events that have happened in their lives. The character of Adam Trask portrays the image of Abel from the story of Genesis. Just like Abel, Adam is an obedient, peaceful, and independant man. Growing up, he had to learn how to take care of himself due to the fact that his mother had died young and his father did not show much attention to him. Although he grew up in a home with a devilish brother and a manipulative father, he somehow developed into a character with good instincts. The fact that he had to take care of himself and not have anyone to depend on was a huge factor to that. Steinbeck writes, “When a child first catches adults out—when it first walks into his grave little

But as they grow up, society corrupts them. Society either influences a person in a good way, making them a better person, or corrupts them in an evil way. The people we surround ourselves do make an impact in the way we act. In Steinbeck’s novel , East of Eden, the Trask family were great examples of society corrupting them. It is clear how situations that have happened in their lives affect them in how they are as a