East of Eden Chapters 1-14
This week we will primarily focus on how Steinbeck uses juxtaposition as a means of setting up various contrasts. Discuss the contrasts in terms of the patriarchs of the two families, Samuel Hamilton and Cyrus Trask; contrast the matriarchs, Liza Hamilton, the first Mrs. Trask, and then the second Mrs. Trask (Alice). Contrast Adam and Charles Trask and discuss the source of tension that exists between them. Be sure to comment on the Biblical allusions that Steinbeck incorporates in the first 14 chapters. Discuss Cathy Trask and her shocking acts. Is she Satan’s spawn, the epitome of evil? Is there any logical reason for her behavior? Finally, we see a few themes emerging. Identify and comment on those themes.
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Is anybody doing the blog? I see followers listed but no comments. Come on...I want to talk literature:)
ReplyDeleteCyrus Trask and Samuel Hamilton contrast in many ways. Cyrus Trask had two children, Adam and Charles Trask. Adam didn’t love his father, while Charles seemed to be always trying to earn his father’s love and yet Cyrus still favored Adam over Charles; which quickly created tension between the two brothers. Samuel Hamilton on the other hand was loved by all nine of his children. He never seemed to favor one child over another and he worked hard for his tight knit family. Samuel Hamilton was admired and respected for his determination and hard work he put into his family and his farm. Samuel made an honest living unlike Cyrus Trask, whom after losing his leg in a battle, started lying about his supposed heroic military record. Both men were admired but for completely different reasons. Samuel was admired for his well brought up family and his hard work, while Cyrus was admired for his phenomenal lying that got him undeserved military honor.
ReplyDeleteThe first Mrs. Trask and Alice Trask are more similar than different. Both women were controlled by Cyrus Trask and both were unhappy. The difference between them was Mrs. Trask had very religious views and Alice never expressed any religious views. Unlike the first Mrs. Trask Alice handled her unhappiness and didn’t resort to ending her life to get away from it. Alice Trask was much different from Liza Hamilton who had strong beliefs and shared them with her husband. She was very strict on her husband and her children; with the help of her husband they raised a strong, loving family.
The tension between Adam and Charles comes and goes. The tension between them only seems to be there when Adam does something better than Charles. I think Charles anger towards Adam originated from the emotional neglect from his father (Cyrus Trask). Cyrus favored Adam over Charles and when the boys gave their father gifts Cyrus loved Adam’s while he disregarded Charles’ gift. When Charles felt there was no competition between him and Adam the boys were completely fine. Once Adam went into the army most of the tension went away between them and they wrote to each other every once in a while. When Adam came home after he finished serving in the military, the boys lived together for a while, but the tension slowly progressed to where Adam had to leave. Adam didn’t leave for very long, and soon he came back to live with Charles. This routine went on for a little while, until Adam finally moved to California, but even with the tension between them I think they have a strong bond.
The biblical illusion I saw in the book was the rivalry between Adam and Charles was much like the rivalry between Cain and Able. Cain and Able both brought offerings to the Lord and the Lord was pleased with Able’s gift, but unpleased with Cain’s gift. This made Cain very angry to the point where he ended his own brother’s life. In East of Eden Adam and Charles both brought gifts to their father and their father favored Adam’s gift over Charles which angered Charles much like it angered Cain. Charles was also to the point where he wanted to end his brother’s life, but Adam hid from his brother which saved his life.
Cathy might not be the spawn of Satan, but she is very close. She killed both her parents and made someone commit suicide and didn’t feel any guilt. She manipulated a man to where he pretty much destroyed his life and then he beat her to near death. Cathy also married a very nice man who took care of her in her time of need and then she cheated on him with his own brother. I think there could be a reason for her actions, maybe she’s psycho and needs mental help. Cathy also may just revel in causing other people misery and destroying their lives. Cathy seemed to not have an ounce of pain for what she did to people and her evil in my opinion represents Satan in this book.
The theme I’ve noticed in the first fifteen chapters is good vs. evil. Samuel Hamilton represents goodness while Cathy the complete opposite of Sam represents evil. Samuel has raised nine children and has a loving happy family. Samuel becomes a father figure to Adam; he encourages him and provides him with guidance. Cathy on the other hand has murdered her parents and caused much pain for many people. Cathy had an affair with Adam’s brother and constantly tells Adam she is going to leave him. I think Cathy brings evil into Adam’s life while Samuel brings good things to Adam’s life.
ReplyDeleteSorry i couldn't fit my whole response into one post so i had to post twice.
You go, M. Cody!!!! I was losing hope that anyone was actually blogging.I enjoyed reading your comments and found them very insightful. Keep up the good work! And tell your sister Shleby that I said hello!
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my blogs are too long it wont allow em on there what do i do ive got em all done so far
ReplyDeleteHI, Moose!
ReplyDeleteStill drinking those nasty shakes?
I would try breaking them up into chunks. It is important to go ahead and get them posted in order to get your grade and not be responsible for the major works data sheets. Just chunk your info and label accordingly (like continued from week 1, etc).
Good to hear from you!
The two patriarchs of the novel Cyrus Trask and Samuel Hamilton contrasted each other on many different levels. I believe Cyrus Trask was a weak man who found refuge in the lies that he told of his supposed glorious war times fighting alongside the generals of the Civil War in nearly every major battle. These lies were the cocoon that surrounded his weak fragile character that protected him from the outside world. After years of deceiving everyone around him he began to believe his own lies were true and at this point his cocoon of lies broke free and he was revealed to the world as one of the most patriotic respectable men in the nation although underneath his thin exoskeleton he was a worm of a man. Samuel Hamilton is on the complete opposite side of the balance. Unlike Cyrus Trask who did nothing but was respected for the lies he created, Samuel was a man that worked with the strength of his back and the cleverness of his mind but never found greatness through his hard labor. What makes Samuel distinct among other men of the world was his immense joy that he found in life and every person in it. Although he was not rich in possessions or in the glorious respect of his accomplishments, he was a man that radiated comfort and joy that people could come and recharge their “batteries” and because of this attribute men revered him as a great man.
ReplyDeleteIf there was anyone more different from each other than Cyrus and Samuel it was their spouses. Liza Hamilton was of a rare breed, she was a God fearing woman who had a sixth sense for sin. She was five feet of concrete that needed everything in order and her family straight nit she didn’t dilly dattle around with fun or superstitions she was focused on solely the daily reading of her Bible and the constant struggle to maintain a house with nine children. Mrs. Trask was an odd bird she didn’t go outside and always substituted gods for everything she was going through. I don’t think that she was that much different from Cyrus in that she wrapped herself up with religious things in which she shielded herself from the outside world, and when her protection was gone she simply slipped away into nothingness by committing suicide. The second Mrs. Trask or Alice was a woman who wanted to be strong but was always chained down by the shackles of her elders. Alice was given to Cyrus by her father after Mrs. Trask died and to Cyrus Alice was nothing but a tool for pleasure and obedience. Underneath the thick mask of a timid weak little lady I started to see the faint glance of a friendly intelligent woman.
Charles and Adam have a love hate relationship. Charles, the robust athletic witty son who excels in everything he does and has the burning desire to at all times please his father. And Adam, the small quiet introvert that avoids anger and violence and hides within himself to escape the evil of the world. Charles loves his brother like it is his duty to care and nurse his fragile sibling that doesn’t seem like he can fend for himself but hates him because of the favor that Adam has in Cyrus’s heart. And Adam who loves his brother that protects him and keeps him safe from harm, his own personal body guard that is invincible and makes up in every possible thing that Adam lacks. The biblical allusion of Cain and Abel comes to mind while reading this novel, the two boys names Charles and Adam are a small allusion to the biblical story. A few big keys in the novel that refer to this allusion are the fact that they both wish to show respect to their father Cyrus (which represents God in the allusion). Just like in the bible God approves better of Abel’s gift than that of Cain’s and this sparks a jealous rage inside Cain to murder his brother. In the novel Adam presents his father with a dog that he had found and the dog was accepted by Cyrus with great pride. On the other hand Charles works diligently to save money to purchase his father a knife. Cyrus accepts the gift but clearly likes the dog better. Almost exactly like Cain Charles tries to kill his brother because of the jealous rage against Adam for being loved more by Cyrus. Another biblical allusion would be the scar upon Charles forehead which represents the mark that God place upon Cain after he murdered his brother Abel.
ReplyDeleteCathy Trask is a very interesting character in the novel. She is the essence of evil in every way shape and form she burned down her house along with her parents and then stole the money of her father’s business. She used her power of seduction to trick people into doing anything she told them. I believe that ever since Cathy was born she had the mindset that no one was going to help her get what she wanted willingly, so in her mind she had to deceive people and use them to get what she wanted. I do believe Cathy was an evil person but not by her choosing, some people I believe are born with mind sets and emotions or lack of emotions that drive them to do the things they do. For example a man born with an athletic body and a dull mind will not pursue a life that depends on cleverness or intelligence he will work with his body and what he is given to make his way through life. In the situation of Cathy Trask she was born with a keen since of what people wanted most in life and she could twist these desires to work for her own gain, she was not born with a caring loving character so she cared not for these emotions because they could never benefit her. Cathy shooting her husband Adam was a case where Cathy showed no love or care but just used Adam to get back on her feet after she was injured. There was no hate in shooting Adam; she just used the shooting as a tool to toss him aside because she was done using him. I believe that if it was truly out of hate she would have killed him then and there.
The major theme that is starting to unfold during these chapters is the theme that has existed since the beginning of time, the struggle of good against evil. The two brothers Charles and Adam are an example of this theme. On one side you have Adam the precious child that knows no violence and is not tainted by the pleasures of the world. And on the other hand you have Charles the son that indulges in the sinful pleasures of the world and works to gain glory in the eyes of men. These two characters are naturally opposed each the other because if one exists than the other cannot. Another example of this theme that the novel offers us is the relationship between Adam Trask and Cathy Trask. One of the purest type of men is set against one of the most evil diabolical type of person, even though the good wishes to change the evil and make it to match itself, it cannot and evil sets itself even deeper in the sins that give it strength. And so the eternal conflict of good versus evil continues to rage on through the thoughts and actions of the characters as the novel progresses.
ReplyDeleteThere are many visible differences between certain characters at this point in the novel; the first of these being between two patriarchs of the Hamilton and Trask families. Samuel Hamilton is a man of Irish descent who made a life for his family by doing what he could with a brittle and dry piece of land located in the Salinas Valley. Hamilton is a kind and free- spirited man, who always seems to have a joyous glow about him. He educated himself and gained respect from many individuals. Cyrus Trask is a man with a hard personality who is enveloped in the ideals of war ever since his past experience in the Civil War where he lost his leg in battle. He was employed by the government and built his life around government. Overall, Cyrus Trask is a lonely and selfish man with no regard for others. The matriarchs of the families are individuals we don’t know that much about on a personal level. Liza Hamilton is a woman with extremely strict morals and one who holds many religious values. She is a mother of nine children and a loving wife who has done her best to teach her children good manners and tend to the needs of her family. The first Mrs. Trask is a character that we know the least about. She is Adam’s mother who caught syphilis from her husband Cyrus and later committed suicide because in her heart it seemed that her sins were unforgivable. Alice Trask was married to Cyrus at seventeen and is the mother of Charles though she was a “mother” to Adam as well. Alice never shows any emotions. She simply obeys orders and fulfills her obligations as the woman of the house. Though it does mention in the novel that Adam saw her smile to herself once and this moment connected the two of them in a special way. Adam and Charles Trask are brothers who hold some obvious tension between one another. In the beginning the author tells us how Charles is the son who was “born a natural athlete,” and overall always good at everything. Charles also possesses an aggressive attitude especially toward his brother Adam. In chapter 3 Charles beats Adam up because he is jealous of the “relationship” that Adam has with their father. It is clearly visible that Charles longs for the love and acceptance of his father which he sadly never receives. Charles comes off as a hard man, a lot like his father, though he seems to have a compassion that his father never had. Adam Trask is a young man of innocence and is somewhat unrealistic in his thinking. His father chose him to go to the army though he did not want to be a part of it. He conformed to the ways of the army and overall gained the respect and love from his father that his brother so desperately longed for. Adam did not have the same desire of acceptance from his father. In the novel, after their fathers’ death, Charles asks Adam if he loved his father and Adam admits to never have loving him.
ReplyDeleteThere is a biblical allusion of Cain and Abel in this novel. In the biblical story Cain and Abel are two brothers and tragedy occurs when Cain kills Abel because God accepted his offering rather than Cain’s. Charles fits the role of Cain, a man full of anger and bitterness who ends up killing his brother for selfish reasons, though Charles doesn’t go that extreme. Adam resembles that of Abel, the young man with an innocent state of mind who gained the acceptance of God, like Adam with his father. Cathy Ames in my opinion is without a doubt a monster. She possesses a demented mind and an unbelievably cruel nature. Her most shocking act was certainly when she set fire to her house with her parents inside. Evil does not describe this creature. She is vindictive, manipulative, cold-hearted, and obviously “a monster born in the world to human parents.” Cathy seems to have no conscious, no remorse for her treacherous actions. There is no logical reason for her ways, unless she is an authorized psychopath. The most obvious theme at this point is the struggle between good and evil; and how it’s almost like a reoccurring theme throughout generations; already in this short amount of reading many problems involving the characters relationships and personal situations have been made clearly visible. This goes to show that the struggle between these two forces is a continuous occurrence for every human being throughout the age; no progress is made.
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ReplyDeleteThe patriarchs of the two families, Samuel Hamilton and Cyrus Trask, in contrast are quite different though they do have one or two similarities. Both these men were respected in their community. Samuel Hamilton was respected for his devotion, honesty, and hard work. He had to raise nine children and even though he wasn't wealthy he still went to study and was well educated. All what he's been through made him a strong and smart person who everyone respected. Cyrus Trask on the other hand was also respected but he was respected for his honor in the military, which was a lie, and his wealth. He had two sons and loved Adam more than Charles. The matriarchs, Liza Hamilton and Mrs. Trask were both welll mannered women. Liza Hamilton was hard working and worked hard to raise her children in the time they were living. Though we do not know much of Mrs. Trask we do know that she was patient and kind. She respected her husband but not until he slept with a black prostitute and caught on to a disease called syphilis and passed it on to his wife, she finally commited suicide. Alice, Cyrus's second wife had fear for her husband Cyrus. This shows us that she was kind and loving but also resentful. Adam and Charles seemed to be opposites from each other. Adam was kind and gentle hearted while Charles was cruel and mean. Charles would beat Adam up just because Adam beat him in a game. He was also jelous of his brother and that could've been why he was that way. Even though Adam was tender hearted and Charles was cruel, Charles still was smarter than him. Charles seen the vicious heart of Cathy while Adam was blind and in love with her. The tension between them was both hating and loving. When Adam left to war Charles felt lonely without him and actually missed him. At the same time when Adam came back from her he didn't feel afraid of his brother anymore. From this it was quite easy to tell which biblical illusion is used in this story, Charles was like Cain and Adam like Abel. Cain was the older brother who was jelous of Abel. When they presented gifts to the Lord, the lord accepted Abel and his gift but not Cain's. It was just like Adam had presented a stray dog as a gift to his dad and Charles presented an expensive knife and his dad loved Adam's gift more.
ReplyDeleteCathy and her acts shocked me. From her childhood description I predicted she wasn't a good person but after obeying her parents and then suddenly burning her parents and faking her death, it seemed she couldn't do anything more worse than that. I believe she was the epitome of evil, she never had any love for anyone and all she cared about was herself and her sexual conducts. She was just pure evil and there doesn't seem to be an explanation of her behavior except that since she grew up the way she is she stayed that way.
One of the themes the author uses is the land. He talks about the setting in the first chapter how there was the bright mountains and the dark mountains and it symbolizes how Cyrus Trask moves to a fertile nice land while Samuel Hamilton moved to a dry land even though he was the true honest man unlike Cyrus who ends up having more problems in his family and next generation.
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