The inner struggle between good and evil is one that happens within nearly every character in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Many find that their lives seem inherently evil or inherently good and desire to change their seemingly inevitable fate. However, the path of good or evil is not wholly predetermined, but rather based on self-determination and the inner desire to change.
Despite an often distinct line between what we see as good and evil, the real difference between the two is much more complex. In the opening stages of East of Eden, nature within the California valleys is personified to represent this contrast between good and evil. The East, with mountains and a river, like the good son, is kind, inviting and easily loved. It finds