East of Eden - John Steinbeck
Well worth reading, not exactly subtle but an interesting story and a lot to mull over.
Disorganized thoughts under the cut.
In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, John Steinbeck (1902-1968) said "the writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit-for gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I hold that a writer who does not believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature." I think that explains a lot of East of Eden's idealistic attitude toward its sinful characters.
In Steinbeck's epic, the lives of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - intertwine and (with a somewhat heavy hand) constantly reference the book of Genesis. Adam Trask, the favorite son of a liar who forces him into the army, eventually finds his way out to Salinas Valley with his wife Cathy. When she abandons him, he and his wise servant Lee raise the twins Aaron (Aron) and Caleb (Cal). The book is also about their poorer neighbors, the Hamiltons, particularly the patriarch Samuel.
Free will is an important theme. In the Cain and Abel story, God advises Cain that he can/shall/must overcome sin (the translation is controversial). Here's the not exactly subtle thematic statement made by Lee to Adam and Samuel:"Don't you see?" [Lee] cried. "The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in 'Thou shalt,' meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel-'Thou mayest'-that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if 'Thou mayest'-it is also true that 'Thou mayest not.' . . .
Any writing which has influenced the thinking and lives of innumerable people is important. Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, 'Do thou,' and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in 'Thou shalt.' Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But 'Thou mayest'! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose the course and fight it through and win . . .
And I feel that I am a man. And I feel that a man is a very important thing-maybe more important than a star. This is not theology, I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed because 'Thou mayest.'"
In some ways the book, or at least Adam's adult life, begins and ends with a war. Adam Trask comes of age while serving in the Indian wars and his sons grow to manhood during WWI.We of Salinas did all of the things that are inevitably done in a war, and we thought the inevitable thoughts . . .
It wasn't all bad or cheap or hysterical. There was heroism too. Some men who could have avoided the army enlisted, and others objected to the war on moral or religious grounds and took the walk up Golgotha which normally comes with that. There were people who gave everything they had to the war because it was the last war and by winning it we would remove war like a thorn from the flesh of the world and there wouldn't be any more such horrible nonsense.
There is no dignity in death in battle. Mostly that is a splashing about of human meat and fluid, and the result is filthy, but there is a great and almost sweet dignity in the sorrow, the helpless, the hopeless sorrow, that comes down over a family with the telegram. Nothing to say, nothing to do, and only one hope-I hope he didn't suffer-and what a forlorn and last-choice hope that is. And it is true that there were some people who, when their sorrow was beginning to lose its savor, gently edged toward pride and felt increasingly important because of their loss. Some of these even made a good thing of it after the war was over. That is only natural, just as it is natural for a man whose life function is the making of money to make money out of a war. No one blamed a man for that, but it was expected that he should invest a part of his loot in war bonds. We thought we invented all of it in Salinas, even the sorrow.
East of Eden reads like a defense of the more sinful descendants of Cain. The Trask family members most closely identified with good have serious issues that make them almost insufferable and the narrator seems to know this (and love them anyway). Spoiler-ish examples [Spoiler (click to open)]Aron is saintly and possibly headed for the ministry, but, as his father couldn't see beyond his own dream image of Cathy, Aron can't accept that Abra is not an idealized woman, but a real person with wants, faults, and needs. His reaction to finding out that his mother is a brothel owner is extreme as well. Adam allows himself to wallow in grief and neglects both land and children. Adam rejects Cal's heartfelt gift of money as war profiteering; meanwhile he lived for years on the probably dishonestly obtained money that his father Cyrus left him. Meanwhile, the more sinful characters are the most interesting, the most honest, and produce the most lasting effects. [Spoiler (click to open)]It's difficult not to sympathize with Adam's brother Charles (in spite of his attempt to murder Adam) because of the way Cyrus rejected him and the lonely life he ends up leading on their eastern farm. And Caleb, in spite of an indirect responsibility for Aron's death is the more giving, generous, and loving brother.
It's well worth reading and my copy is all marked up because I found so many passages worth pondering and quoting, but it does have a few weak points. In particular, Cathy/Kate is treated as an enigmatic personification of evil, which is particularly strange considering the book's thematic emphasis on human free will. Even the narrator/author seems puzzled by what to make of his own creation.
Disorganized thoughts under the cut.
In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, John Steinbeck (1902-1968) said "the writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit-for gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I hold that a writer who does not believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature." I think that explains a lot of East of Eden's idealistic attitude toward its sinful characters.
In Steinbeck's epic, the lives of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - intertwine and (with a somewhat heavy hand) constantly reference the book of Genesis. Adam Trask, the favorite son of a liar who forces him into the army, eventually finds his way out to Salinas Valley with his wife Cathy. When she abandons him, he and his wise servant Lee raise the twins Aaron (Aron) and Caleb (Cal). The book is also about their poorer neighbors, the Hamiltons, particularly the patriarch Samuel.
Free will is an important theme. In the Cain and Abel story, God advises Cain that he can/shall/must overcome sin (the translation is controversial). Here's the not exactly subtle thematic statement made by Lee to Adam and Samuel:"Don't you see?" [Lee] cried. "The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in 'Thou shalt,' meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel-'Thou mayest'-that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if 'Thou mayest'-it is also true that 'Thou mayest not.' . . .
Any writing which has influenced the thinking and lives of innumerable people is important. Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, 'Do thou,' and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in 'Thou shalt.' Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But 'Thou mayest'! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose the course and fight it through and win . . .
And I feel that I am a man. And I feel that a man is a very important thing-maybe more important than a star. This is not theology, I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed because 'Thou mayest.'"
In some ways the book, or at least Adam's adult life, begins and ends with a war. Adam Trask comes of age while serving in the Indian wars and his sons grow to manhood during WWI.We of Salinas did all of the things that are inevitably done in a war, and we thought the inevitable thoughts . . .
It wasn't all bad or cheap or hysterical. There was heroism too. Some men who could have avoided the army enlisted, and others objected to the war on moral or religious grounds and took the walk up Golgotha which normally comes with that. There were people who gave everything they had to the war because it was the last war and by winning it we would remove war like a thorn from the flesh of the world and there wouldn't be any more such horrible nonsense.
There is no dignity in death in battle. Mostly that is a splashing about of human meat and fluid, and the result is filthy, but there is a great and almost sweet dignity in the sorrow, the helpless, the hopeless sorrow, that comes down over a family with the telegram. Nothing to say, nothing to do, and only one hope-I hope he didn't suffer-and what a forlorn and last-choice hope that is. And it is true that there were some people who, when their sorrow was beginning to lose its savor, gently edged toward pride and felt increasingly important because of their loss. Some of these even made a good thing of it after the war was over. That is only natural, just as it is natural for a man whose life function is the making of money to make money out of a war. No one blamed a man for that, but it was expected that he should invest a part of his loot in war bonds. We thought we invented all of it in Salinas, even the sorrow.
East of Eden reads like a defense of the more sinful descendants of Cain. The Trask family members most closely identified with good have serious issues that make them almost insufferable and the narrator seems to know this (and love them anyway). Spoiler-ish examples [Spoiler (click to open)]Aron is saintly and possibly headed for the ministry, but, as his father couldn't see beyond his own dream image of Cathy, Aron can't accept that Abra is not an idealized woman, but a real person with wants, faults, and needs. His reaction to finding out that his mother is a brothel owner is extreme as well. Adam allows himself to wallow in grief and neglects both land and children. Adam rejects Cal's heartfelt gift of money as war profiteering; meanwhile he lived for years on the probably dishonestly obtained money that his father Cyrus left him. Meanwhile, the more sinful characters are the most interesting, the most honest, and produce the most lasting effects. [Spoiler (click to open)]It's difficult not to sympathize with Adam's brother Charles (in spite of his attempt to murder Adam) because of the way Cyrus rejected him and the lonely life he ends up leading on their eastern farm. And Caleb, in spite of an indirect responsibility for Aron's death is the more giving, generous, and loving brother.
It's well worth reading and my copy is all marked up because I found so many passages worth pondering and quoting, but it does have a few weak points. In particular, Cathy/Kate is treated as an enigmatic personification of evil, which is particularly strange considering the book's thematic emphasis on human free will. Even the narrator/author seems puzzled by what to make of his own creation.