The raging war between good and evil have battled between the pages of East of Eden, for darkness of evil and the light of purity seeps within nature itself to the plot and characters, as it's been an ongoing theme within the novel. Finally, we see this theme within one word and one idea: timshel, thou mayest. This is the idea of free will and the capability of having a choice to defy one's fate, to be able to not succumb to the darkness of guilt and instead, accept it and move past it. To triumph over the pull of sins and guilt that's wrapped its fingers about Cal's mind, to be able to defeat such evils in order to first, forgive himself. This is the power that Adam gives him, for he cannot grant forgiveness to his son without Cal …show more content…
Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness, and his filth, and his murder of his brother, he can choose his course and fight it through and win." Sam Hamilton opens the reader's minds to the idea of having a great power such as a freewill gives one the choice to succumb to the darkness of guilt and the past or it grants someone the choice to overcome sin and guilt, to become powerful and greater than one's own inescapable fate. For timshel puts one's own destiny and fate into the hands of those who can either change it for the better or the worse without anyone but themselves to blame. It is their decision to forgive themselves or hold their soul accountable for the eternity of one's sins. This is what Sam Hamilton recognizes, timshel is an incredible power that grants mortals the power of the gods. Guilt encaptures the human soul and mind within a cocoon of realization for people have failed to meet an invisible standard that we long to strive for. It's engraved in a negative light that reminds one over and over of sins that should not have been committed such as Cal's own. However, guilt is also a useful tool, it can be twisted and manipulated into a tool for motivation and is often used to make amends to relationships that have splintered such as Cal and Adam's. With one word, timshel, Cal could shape his future and either …show more content…
Or is fate everlasting and unchangeable? Timshel allows one to accept their fate and give into the guilt or, given the power of free will, continue upon this path called fate that is inescapable but be able to triumph over this guilt and you can win over the horrors of your past and never accept one's fate. This ties into Cal, Adam realizes that he'll never be able to escape from his "meanness" he'll always be that way because it's his fate, and you cannot change fate, one must only accept it. Destiny, however, is a very different story because it’s something that people can alter. With timshel, Cal is capable to either succumbing to his sins or he can rise over them and win. This gives the power that Sam Hamilton recognized, this is a power of the gods that gives man the same choice; this choice to drown in sins or overcome them. Adam understands that forgiveness is not up to him and he knows that this is not his battle to fight- this is Cal's battle to fight between good and evil, to triumph or fall to