East of Eden John Steinbeck

East of Eden Setting – Salinas Valley – Poetic, nostalgic “I remember that the Gabilan Mountains to the east of the valley were light gay mountains full of sun and loveliness and a kind of invitation…” “The Santa Lucias stood up against the sky…they were dark and brooding- unfriendly and dangerous. I always found in myself a dread of the west and a love of the east” (3) Biblical allegory – Salinas as the Garden of Eden Use of imagery to relay theme of past and nostalgia Juxtaposition of good and evil – Mythical and archetypical motifs – Parallels characters and theme – Structuralism

East of Eden Setting presents archetypes Salinas is located between – Good vs. evil – Light vs.dark – Birth vs. death – Parallel characters and themes of novel

East of Eden Archetype “From both sides of the valley little stream slipped out of the hill canyons and fell into the bed of the Salinas River. In the winter of wet years the streams ran full-freshest, and they swelled the river until sometimes it raged and boiled…” (3) – Cycle of life – Re-birth

Narrator Steinbeck – “I always found in myself a dread of the West and a love of the East” (3) – 3rd person omniscient Reveal personal thoughts of some characters Slips into 1st person- reveals opinions and thoughts of Steinbeck – Connects personal experience with fiction – Tone Nostalgic

Hamiltons Symbol of happy, well-balanced family – Samuel – Symbol of the past – Archetype Wise older man Ingenious, philosophical, spirit of the former age “Besides, they loved to hear Samuel talk of the world and its thinking, of the poetry and philosophy that were going on outside the Salinas Valley.” (10) – Inventor, dreamer, generous – “no gift for business” – “the Hamiltons stayed poor”

Trasks Contrast to Hamilton’s working class status – “These usually bought land, but good land, but good land, and built their houses of planed lumber and had carpets and colored-glass diamond panes in their windows. There were numbers of these families and they got the good land of the valley and cleared the yellow mustard away and planted wheat. Such a man was Adam Trask.” (13) Father Cyrus “something of a devil” Archetype “shadow figure” Foil to Samuel Driven by a need to be important

Trasks Alice Trask – Quiet and obedient – Misplaced love for Charles “’For a long time he has given me little presents, pretty things you wouldn’t think he’s even notice” (33). – Dramatic irony

Adam & Charles Trask Allusion to Adam and Eve – “When a child first catches adults out- when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just- his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone…Adam found his father out” (19-20) Archetypical motif – Initiation – Adam must overcome obstacles

Adam &Charles Trask Adam’s half-brother Served as protector – “Adam was glad of Charles the way a woman is glad of a fat diamond, and he depended on his on his brother in the way that same woman depends on the diamond’s glitter and the self- security tied up in its worth; but love, affection, empathy were beyond conception” (21). Grows to contempt between the brothers Product of paternal rejection – Result in anger, crime and guilt – Symbol of evil – Character archetype

Adam & Charles Trask Theme of childhood rejection and its effects Adam takes after mother – Sensitive and obedient Charles after father – Angry and cruel Strong sense of competition – “’You’re [Adam] trying to take him away!” (29) Adam doesn’t love his father Charles seeks love from his father

Adam and Charles Trask Biblical allusion – “’You think I didn’t see?…You brought his a mongrel pup you picked up in the woods…That dog sleeps in his room. He plays with while he’s reading” (30) Adam fears father and brother – “And all the this time Adam looked at his brother as the condemned look hopelessly and puzzled at the executioner” (30). Fear and confusion of Charles's actions Reader identifies with Adam

Adam & Charles Trask “…and Adam could see the hatchet in his right hand” (31). – Going to kill his own brother – Indicates inherent evil within Charles