Character Analysis Of Charles Trask In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

In a brief recap, it was shown that a growth mindset is a belief that one will be able to surpass the limit of knowledge that is set and having a fixed mindset is a belief that one has a certain limit to their knowledge. In John Steinbeck’s, East of Eden, there is a character, Charles Trask, who has a fixed mindset and believes that he cannot win the love of his dad. Charles competes over and over again for him to be his dad’s favorite-but he continues to be disappointed. In Carol Dweck’s, Brainology, it explains thoroughly the difference between obtaining a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. By adopting her explanations, Charles falls victim to having a fixed mindset. From the beginning of the book, the reader has an insight on what kind of person Charles is. He is envious of his older step-brother, Adam, competitive, violent, and cynical. With this personality, he believes that there is no way he can possibly earn his dad’s love and the spot of being his favorite. Steinbeck accentuates Charles personality by stating, “Charles moved close and struck him in the

According to Dweck, to acquire a growth mindset you must be able to, “...believe that intelligence is something that can be cultivated through effort and education”(1). Meaning that one will have to understand and accept that people can be able to continue to learn and further their knowledge. Charles is opposed to the idea of being able to mature and advance his knowledge. Dweck also states, “Those with a growth mindset had a very straightforward idea...idea that the harder you work, the more your ability will grow…”(2). Adding on to her first statement of a growth mindset, she explains that one will have to work hard everyday to be able to gain more abilities and knowledge. Charles cannot possibly grasp the idea of working harder to become better and acquire more