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Evil Characters In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

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There are contrasting opinions about Cathy Ames within the characters from Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden, some of which are her neighbors whom she left them behind with "a scent of sweetness” (Steinbeck; Ch. 8); then there are other characters who thought of her as an inhuman monster who manipulates to do evil and destroy someone’s life. Her beauty does not reflect her actions, making her an innocent illusion, sugar coated, with despicable sprinkles, and poisonous filling. She mostly has evil intentions behind every - even good - action. Cathy can be nice and do good actions, but only with a selfish reason behind it, which shows how Steinbeck portrayed distorted evil in a woman and how this façade is all revealed and hated. Catherine Ames, is a peculiar case of one of John Steinbeck’s most evil characters. Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ames, Cathy is introduced to the readers as an individual that came to this …show more content…

Sarah Appleton Aguiar also agrees saying: "she marries Adam for protection" on p. 147. He took her in and provided all the care she needed to heal from the beating from Mr. Edwards. He falls in love not with who she is, but with an idealized form of Cathy and does not see her true self "Perhaps Adam did not see Cathy at all, so lighted was she by his eyes" claimed Steinbeck, on Ch. 13. He idealized her, therefore he did not take her objections and thoughts into consideration "Adam never comes close to seeing Cathy as she really is. He idealizes her, projecting onto her an unreal image of sweetness that he never questions. When Cathy indicates that she does not want to move to California, Adam does not listen; he does not take her objections seriously" (Aubrey). He takes long to get over her even after she shoots him on his shoulder "Cathy shots him with cool indifference" (Aguiar; p.

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Collier learned that “(you) cannot have both compassion and innocence”. In the process of destroying her neighbor’s Marigolds, Elizabeth realized that the destruction of beauty can cause pain in others. She began to see the world through another’s eyes, which was a major turning point, a coming of age, in her life. In “Always

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How does Cathy’s character represent Eve as a biblical allusion? Cathy is known as evil and malicious throughout the whole novel; she seduces men and murders her own family. Eve is known for bringing evil into the world by eating an apple and it is through her actions that the world has to suffer.

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Edwards, who falls in love with her and gives her a lot of money and gifts. Soon he finds out who she really is and what she did, he takes her to a small town to Connecticut, where he beats her almost to her death and leaves her there (East of Eden 130). Cathy manages to crawl to the Trask farm, where she finds help and comfort by the two brothers (East of Eden 146). Adam falls in love with her immediately, but Charles sees right through her. As she is getting better, she manipulates Adam into asking her to marry her (East of Eden, 154).

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East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, reflects the complexities in father/son relationships. The connection between a father and his son is vital to their development. The novel explores the impact of these relations is immense. The central allusion of the novel is comparing several characters to Cain and Abel, who were formed through their attempted relationship with their father-like figure, God. They struggled and vied for the attention, love, and respect of God, which subconsciously influenced their actions and thoughts.

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“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty” (Maya Angelou). Often to achieve great literature, another inspirational work must be warped and altered so that it may evolve into another piece to be cherished for years to come. In order to achieve the East of Eden, John Steinbeck transformed the Biblical accounts of Adam and Eve and their sons, Cain and Abel, into a modern telling of the good and evil found in most people. Steinbeck reincarnates the family of Adam and Eve through multiple characters, demonstrating that both their failures and triumphs are in almost all people, but their destiny is controlled by their own individual decisions. Steinbeck illustrates Adam

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623 Words | 3 Pages

The other women in the novel: Liza and Olive Hamilton, Abra Bacon, and even Steinbeck's mother are described to be caring, affectionate, and loving, all the characteristic of a mother, which contrast to Cathy. Although Charles can appear dark natured, there are moment where he expresses human emotions like love and guilt, Cathy expenses none of this because she is inhuman. In addition, to her son, Cal can become dark, however, he has illustrate he can conquer over sin and live a high-minded life. “What made Kate so effective was the fact that she had either learned it or had been born with the knowledge” (241). Therefore, Cathy places an important role in the plot of evil is human nature.

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And I fooled them. And when they thought they could tell me what to do - Oh! That’s when I fooled them best” (465). The people who try to control Cathy, for example, Adam and cathy’s parents, end up in tragedy. Cathy fits Timshel the best because no one can tell her what to do or what to say.

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653 Words | 3 Pages

John Steinbeck’s renown allegory East of Eden explores the characteristics of human nature, including the potent principle of free will. Steinbeck’s use of rhetorical strategies throughout the passage enables him to illustrate his message, emphasizing the significance of creativity in the essence of humanity and the threats against it. Steinbeck utilizes various elements of vivid language, rhetorical appeal, and style to elucidate his argument, urging individuals to fight for their free will and to assert their individuality. Steinbeck’s use of metaphor in the first paragraph depicts the extent of the significance of free will through his vivid comparison of individuality to the “glory [that] lights up the mind of a man.” (Steinbeck 1)

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In the fifth century BC, Gautama Buddha quoted that, “It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.” Two and a half thousand years later, humanity still is still faced with its own evil. Buddha was correct in his monitions for mankind because he knew that evil is always set in motion by human nature. In the novels, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Night by Elie Wiesel, authors reveal humanity’s true evils through literary devices such as characterization, psychology, and setting, to connect to the darkness that is present in the real world.

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Nature versus nurture—hereditary factors versus the way in which someone is raised—is a long-held debate within the field of psychology. In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Lee, a Chinese servant in America, a western society, hails from a lineage which instills the values of their ancestral land throughout his childhood, influencing the way he responds to various situations and relates to other individuals. Although a skilled social interpreter, Lee chooses to defy against societal stigmas of choppy English and a stereotypical Chinese hairstyle, while continuing to practice and recognize the values of his ancestors. Through his comprehensive dedication to cultural studies, Lee encounters a group of Chinese philosophers whom he seeks assistance from in order to solve a task that troubles him: how to define the word timshel. After several years of solitary investigation and two additional years with expert guidance, timshel receives a concise meaning, and Lee begins to share this optimistic and omnipresent principle with those who yearn his advice.

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1515 Words | 7 Pages

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). John Steinbeck’s work, East of Eden, is the one he considered to be his greatest, with all novels before leading up to it. Indeed, it grandly recounts the stories of the human race as told by the Bible, including Adam and Eve, but most prominently that of Cain and Abel. It touches upon both Steinbeck’s own family and a fictional family in a depiction of “man 's capacity for both good and evil” (Fontenrose). Joseph Fontenrose, however, criticizes Steinbeck’s message as contradictory and convoluted, with no clear relationship between good and evil.

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920 Words | 4 Pages

How is the idea of femininity explored in The Yellow Wallpaper and Of Mice and Men? Throughout Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men the idea of femininity is mainly explored through two characters that don’t fit the expected roles of the time. These characters provide us with an understanding of how women were labelled through symbolism in both texts. The futility of the women’s dreams and that they only served a purpose as wives, is shown between dialogue, narration and symbolism.

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The definition of a sympathetic character is one whom the writer expects the reader to identify with and care about, though not necessarily admire. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife, a main character in the book is blatantly portrayed as an unsympathetic character. This is because they only see her through the men's eyes, who only see her as a tiresome object, owned by her husband. Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair and misogynistic because he only displays her as unintelligent and promiscuous, never has a character have a turning point where they realize she’s more than an object, and he never reveals her true name. The first reason that Steinbeck's portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair is that he never gives Curley any redeeming personality traits, he only depicts her as unintelligent and promiscuous.

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Do you think people are simply cruel or do they have a reasoning to be cruel? In the book of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, many characters show a cruel side of them that was a bit misunderstanding but had their own personal reasons why they acted cruel. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, with a very intense storyline is about two best friends named Lennie Small and George Milton who are always on the road looking for work on farms, since they’re planning to own their own farm someday. When luck hits them and find work at a ranch they meet many people at the ranch but everyone doesn’t get along. Sadly in the end when George finds out they wanted to kill Lennie, George ended up killing Lennie himself.

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Masculine and Feminine Roles in Steinbeck’s “Chrysanthemums” In the story “The Chrysanthemums”, by John Steinbeck, Elisa Allen lives an unsatisfactory life as she desires more than what is bestowed upon her. The reader learns Elisa’s husband is culpable for not seeing the beauty of his wife, leaving an open door for the antagonist, a traveler, to prey upon Elisa’s. Steinbeck uses Masculine and Feminine roles of the early 20th century, Internal Conflict, and an antagonist, to show Elisa’s struggle for Identity. Steinbeck illustrates Masculine and feminine roles of the 20th century in the “Chrysanthemums” to show Elisa’s struggle with identity.

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