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Major themes
The book explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, and the struggle for acceptance, greatness, and the capacity for self-destruction and especially of guilt and freedom. It ties these themes together with references to and many parallels with the biblical Book of Genesis (especially Genesis Chapter 4, the story of Cain and Abel).
Steinbeck's inspiration for the novel comes from the fourth chapter of Genesis, verses one through sixteen, which recounts the story of Cain and Abel. The title, East of Eden, was chosen by Steinbeck from Genesis, Chapter 4, verse 16: "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden" (King James Version).
Steinbeck's allusion to Cain and Abel is furthered by the naming of the Trask family; the first letters of the names of the brothers are in match throughout the generations (Charles and Adam, Caleb and Aaron).
Some of the biblical parallels include:
| Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel | East of Eden, Charles and Adam | East of Eden, Caleb and Aron |
|---|---|---|
| Cain is a "worker of the ground"; Abel is a "keeper of sheep" (Gen. 4:2, ESV). | Charles is a farmer who works diligently even after he inherits considerable wealth from his father, Cyrus. | Caleb invests in bean crops. Aron vies to become a priest (who are commonly compared with shepherds). |
| God rejects Cain's gift of crops in favor of Abel's lamb (Gen. 4:3, ESV). | Cyrus prefers the gift from his son Adam (a stray puppy he found) over the gift from his other son Charles (a hard-earned expensive knife). | Adam rejects his son Cal's money and would rather he lead a good life like Aron. |
| After rejection from God, Cain kills Abel (Gen. 4:8, ESV). | After being rejected by their father, Charles attacks Adam and beats him nearly to death. | After Adam rejects Caleb's money, Caleb informs Aron of their mother's brothel. Aron, distraught, enlists in the war and is killed in combat. |
| God put a mark on Cain to deter others from killing him (Gen. 4:15, ESV). | Charles receives a dark scar on his forehead while trying to move a boulder from his fields. | Caleb is described as having a more dark and sinister appearance than Aaron. Also noteworthy is the fact that Adam tells Caleb, "timshel," meaning "thou mayest." This implies Caleb may overcome his evil nature because of the "mark" put upon him by Adam. |
| Cain is the only one with progeny. | Charles is the only one with children, as it is speculated that the twins Aaron and Caleb are his. | Aaron dies in the war, and Caleb is the only one able to carry on and have children. |
There are also contrasts with the Biblical story. For example, in Genesis, Cain becomes a vagabond. In East of Eden, it is the brother Adam who spends several years as a vagabond.
- Introduction
- Plot summary
- Characters
- Major themes
- Writing East of Eden
- Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
- Popular culture references
- Footnotes
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