Comparing East Of Eden, By John Steinbeck And Beloved By Toni Morrison

At the heart of every story are characters, whose complex identities shape their actions, decisions, and implications for the broader message of the author. Although every novel examines identity in some manner, there are uniquely compelling parallels between East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Beloved by Toni Morrison which collectively enhance the meaning of the works. In East of Eden, Steinbeck examines the progression of family and society over time, centering his message around a powerful allusion to the Biblical characters of Cain and Abel. In Beloved, Morrison explores the enduring impact of slavery on identity as well as the power and extent of love in the midst of affliction. In the framework of these distinct plots, both East of Eden

In East of Eden, Tom Hamilton relies so heavily on his father’s love that he is hopeless without it. Tom ultimately takes his own life because he cannot “justify the love and pride” Samuel “squandered” on him (Steinbeck 406). Although less tragic, Sethe’s daughter Denver in Beloved experiences a similar loneliness, longing for the attention which her mother once gave her: “... Denver’s imagination produced its own hunger and food, which she badly needed because loneliness wore her out” (Morrison 35). Both Tom and Denver associate their identity too closely with their parents, resulting in pain when such relationships are lost. Moreover, Charles and Cal Trask, the Biblical Cain figures in East of Eden, suffer from parental neglect. These two characters harm their respective brothers out of jealousy. Adam Trask retrospectively encapsulates this reality in a letter to Charles: “‘I didn’t know then, but I know now - you were fighting for your love’” (Steinbeck 70). Ultimately, each novel leads to the conclusion that love is both essential and dangerous to one’s identity. Familial bonds have the power to reinforce identity, but they also have the power to destroy

This is most evident in Sethe’s character growth throughout Beloved. Prior to the arrival of Beloved, who embodies her dead daughter, Sethe preserves the future by “keeping the past at bay” (Morrison 51). Over the course of the novel, however, Beloved gains power over Sethe: “[Sethe] sat in the chair licking her lips like a chastised child while Beloved ate up her life …” (Morrison 295). Beloved, a symbol of the painful past, consumes Sethe in the present, demonstrating that a relationship with the past can become too intense. Ultimately, Sethe overcomes Beloved’s grasp and begins a new future, establishing her identity as one which is impacted, but not controlled, by the past. In East of Eden, Adam Trask faces a similar confrontation with the past. Adam’s wife Cathy, who embodies evil throughout the novel, betrays her husband and leaves him with their twin sons. For the first several years of the boys’ lives, Adam “seemed clothed in a viscosity that slowed his movements and held his thoughts down” (Steinbeck 250). After years of neglect, Adam finally confronts Cathy, who is a clear representation of his own painful past. His encounter with Cathy is filled with tension, yet it results in his freedom from her control: “‘I’m beginning to think you’re a twisted human - or no human at