Brint, a so called psychologist, helps Adam uncover his past. With the help of Brint, Adam remembers how his family was undercover, in a Re-Identification Program, because of information his father uncovers as a newspaper reporter. The Farmer family was really the Delmonte family. With this discovery, Brint becomes intrigued with Adam and Adam becomes upset, and his insanity becomes more and more evident. Adam’s personality, especially his skepticism, instability, and persistence helps him to overcome the traumatic events of his past.
Cal’s Internal Struggle Not any one person or character has a single characteristic. Personality is made up of a multitude of different things, good and bad. This holds true in John Steinbeck’s, East of Eden, because even though Cal makes immoral decisions he is still human with other admirable attributes. Cal fights against his nature that was passed down to him by Cathy without ever giving up. He discovers how special Aron is, but keeps his composure, “Cal stared fiercely at his brother, at the pale hair and the wide-set eyes, and he suddenly knew why his father loved Aron, knew it beyond doubt.”
In John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden, many characters are used in order to develop his stories with a plot lines falling closely to the bible. Character’s in this story tend to portray a biblical aspect, through actions and intentions. Steinbeck developed the theme throughout his novel which follows through the generations, the story of Cain and Abel. Cal, one of most complex character throughout the novel closely follows the biblical aspects of Adam and Eve’s son Cain; Cal also has several flaws that develops his character and impacts his life in various ways. In the book of Genesis Adam and Eve’s sons Cain and Abel both offer sacrifices to God.
Cain and Abel are the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, as a farmer, sacrifices some of his crops to God; however, he finds that God is far more interested in his brother Abel, offering him the best of his herd. In his anger and jealousy, Cain decides to kill his own brother. This story can resonate with readers and, therefore, is used as an allusion in other works.
Adam and Eve had a perfect Garden of Eden, until Eve ate the apple and contaminated the garden. In being tricked by the snake, Eve betrayed God’s word. Mankind has often betrayed others because of the darkness in their heart. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses Phineas as a sacrificial lamb to portray Gene’s savage side and demonstrate that peace can never be achieved at a worldwide level until man accepts the darkness in his own heart.
The “C” represents the antagonists, while “A” represents the protagonists. One of the families is known as the Trasks, and they have a complex relationship with each other. Aaron and Caleb are the sons of Adam Trask and the three are trapped in a triangular relationship where one is always hurt. Cal is torn between good and evil. The young Trask is motivated by his virtue, a craving for Adam’s affection, and the jealousy he has towards Aron.
In East of Eden, Steinbeck characterizes Adam Trask as a flawed son, husband, and father. Trying to overcome the actions of Cyrus, Charles, and Cathy, Adam Trask creates his own struggles which hinder him from living a good life. Yet, from his struggles stems growth and realization. The early stages of Adam’s life presented him with obstacles that he continued to carry throughout the rest of his life. However, on his deathbed, he decided that he will end the last chapter of his life on a successful note.
In the book “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy the two protagonists, a boy and his father, are set out in a post apocalyptic world where everything is trying to kill them from cannibals to people with nothing. Their main goal is to travel down a road south where the climate is better for living. On their journey they encounter many life threatening obstacles including starvation and “bad guys” that they must overcome to survive. The paternal bond between the father and son is what pushes them beyond what could have been possible and allowed them to make it along their journey.
In the book, A Gathering of Old Men, a white woman named Candy says that she, “will not let them hurt my people,” talking about safeguarding the blacks which live on her father’s land. Candy wishes to protect them due to the fact that one of the blacks, named Mathu, was her father figure as she was growing up, and now he could be in trouble both physically and with the law. When Candy refers to them as her people, she is not wrong in doing so because of her relationship with Mathu. With Mathu being her father figure, she could see the black community on her father’s land not as property, but as her true family; instead of her genetic family. Candy is protecting them not because she feels guilty about what her forefathers have done, but because
Remember that Charles represents Cain. Therefore, this piece shows that Abel is capable of hurting Cain. In the next chapter Adam and Charles face the truth about their father. Their father has lied about his time in the war and came across a great deal of money by dishonest means. However, the brothers continue to avoid the facts, they find it too hard to face up to the dishonesty of their father.
That relationship affects not only the conflict, but the outcome. All these things combined to give Abel meaning in this story. The way M. Scott Momaday writes you can take these types of character and make your own conclusion about Abel. This characterization of Abel’s tribe, “ They gathered around the old eagle and spoke to it, bidding it return with their good will and sorrow to the eagle’s of the crags.” This shows that they care and do these things for their faith, and no other.
Third, Big Daddy’s care and understanding for Brick is seen when he asks him, “Have you ever been scared? I mean have you ever felt down-right terror of something” (993)? As Big Daddy asks Brick this, it shows that Big Daddy wants to continue the conversation with his son as he is asking more questions to make the conversation last longer and to get to know Brick better and at a personal level. Fourth, as the conversation between Big Daddy and Brick continues, Big Daddy admits his only faults in parenthood and being there for Brick when he needs it the most: BRICK.
John Steinbeck, perhaps one of the most thoughtful and sophisticated writers thus far, had a lasting career of many great novels ranging from 1929 to 1961. He contributed greatly to the literary movements of modernism and naturalism, although most of his novels fall into the movement of modernism. Steinbeck explored the lives of characters who led ordinary lives, just like the people who were living at the time. In his novel, East of Eden, Steinbeck delves into the lives of a complicated family across its generation. He explores the battles between good and evil and most interestingly, within this battle of good and evil, he picks apart the influence of the subconscious and unconscious mind on behavior, aligning with the similar theme in the
The Father-Son Relationship For both McCandless and Krakauer, the combination of trying to please a difficult-to-please father, resenting authority, and discovering their fathers’ own great failings leads to an almost insurmountable rift. Krakauer was able to forgive his father only once he was no longer the same man. McCandless died before he had the opportunity to grow out of his anger.
Caleb Trask is the embodiment of human sin. Playing the role of Cain, from the biblical story of Cain and Abel, Caleb struggles with jealousy and its repercussions. In John Steinbeck’s literary work, East of Eden, the characters embody traits at biblical proportions. Despite his many and apparent flaws, Caleb Trask is the most admirable character in the novel. Cal is the most admirable character because he choses to overcome his greed, jealousness and mean spirit.
