Also love Lee. Total defeat of evil, I loved it. I am now more a Caleb: I have tried to buy love and rectify my choices to my family. I think he was my favorite. East of Eden repeatedly refers back to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, and to the moment where God tells Cain, “thou mayest [overcome sin].” Lee says that the word “mayest” is one of the most important words in the Bible. Cain kills Abel. We sometimes forget that women and little girls were expected to shut up and tow the line in rural areas back in the day. Fitting how they understood each other, as well. Despite her being seductive type of a villain, I think you’re oversimplifying her role a bit. Do I have to give a spoiler alert? The East of Eden quotes below are all either spoken by Catherine Trask (Kate) or refer to Catherine Trask (Kate). Adam and Cathy Ames birth Aaron (Aron) and Caleb (Cal) Trask. In real life things are different but in literature to see an evil character who just does whatever they want is fascinating to me. has become my favorite literary character ever. I related to Tom Hamilton more than I thought I would as well, but I didn't see the suicide part coming. The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties. But to me the more timeless (and better story) is East of Eden. I know Steinbeck gives the malformed soul line, but I don't really think that's a good enough answer. I think she was inherently manipulative and perhaps psycho- or sociopathic but I don't think she was always 'evil'. Yes to that. Where do we begin with Cathy? She used mimicry of other people to get what she wanted, but she didn't always feel the same. I loved Cathy. There's almost an existential quality to Steinbeck's notion of free will. Cathy leaves the … To the other characters? She was the most basic side of humanity. I am happy on the fringe, visiting the past, having big dreams for the future, walking the streets at night in silence. (This was my first Steinbeck book since reading Of Mice and Men back when I was in 9th grade). Report Save. The characters are all so memorable and the story is really well done. Cathy's actions throughout Steinbeck's novel East of Eden show her to be a monster with no heart, however, in the end, she is sad and we can truly see inside her soul. 1. Cathy Trask, Monstrosity, and Gender-Based Fears in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden Claire Warnick Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature, BYU Master of Arts In recent years, the concept of monstrosity has received renewed attention by literary critics. But I think that his first description of her was correct. I looked at the contrast between Cathy and Cal, and how Cathy didn't have a choice in controlling her monstrosities but Cal did have a choice. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. To me as the reader? Much of this criticism has focused on horror texts and other texts that depict supernatural monsters. I just see that Cal is the only character in Trask family who saw both sides of the coin, made a choice about what kind of person he wanted to be, and chose to be truly good instead of just appearing to be good. I wouldn't say Adam was 'good' personified exactly, his fortune was acquired illegally by his father and other such things prove that point, but he tried to be a good, decent man. I know she’s structured to be the antagonist of the novel but it’s been two months since I finished ‘East of Eden’ (wrote my thoughts earlier in previous post) and her whole characterization seems so vivid, more than realistic. She was trapped as a whore unable to pursuit any other lifestyle and although she controlled the men around her they got to use her as a sexual object. I've read somewhere (it's been a long time ago, so I can't attribute it), that Steinbeck's flaw is that his bad guys are too uniformly evil. We refer to her based on what she is going by at the particular moment in the book we're discussing. Wait, what's he talking about? It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage in-depth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres, or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. I feel like Adam and Aron were sort of lifeless inside. I have the polar opposite impression of Cathy. I might privately visit the museum again in Salinas. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Report Save. Essays for East of Eden. Not sure if I buy it as an explanation honestly. It's mind-boggling that Steinbeck would deliberately cripple his story like this. I'm going to throw out an opposing opinion. Best Answer for Cathy ___, 'east Of Eden' Crossword Clue. Note: Cathy's name switches halfway through the novel. I disliked her as a person but yeah she was a great character. She was a great character in the narrative though that served as an interesting and engaging villain that i thought was capable of anything. Instant downloads of all 1417 LitChart PDFs (including East of Eden). It was refreshing, and surprising. Steinbeck is such an amazing writer, IMO. Man, that book was intriguing even for my sixteen years old self, and she was the main drive behind my fondness with this book. I just feel like rambling or venting about a bizarre set of emotions I have about East of Eden so far. She was a force who caused chaos, fucked everything up around her, crawled under everybody’s skin, yet it was a delight to have her. This is a moderated subreddit. Firstly, Charles, then Sam, then Adam, and then Cal, people seemed to understand her; they got to see what she was lacking, not what they didn't understand of her. I went through what I would consider a "Cathy " period burning bridges and hurting people while pretending to be nice. But only in that he got angry whenever he was lost and his insecurities led to a bit of a complex. Managing the girls at the house must have been exhaustive work, not to mention always having to watch her own back because of all the blackmail that she had collected on everyone and the fear of being caught for one of her many crimes. Use asterisks instead of quotes for italics. And then we are introduced to Cathy Ames. Just finished 'East of Eden' and finally understand the fuss over Steinbeck! If she was a plot-device she wouldn’t be as important to the story. Cathy is just Evil, end of discussion - Told (as opposed to Showed) so by from the get-go by the omniscient narrator. Share. I really enjoyed it and am planning on reading Grapes of Wrath soon. Like this. How do you all feel about her? I originally read it a few years ago on a whim and loved it so much. In Cathy's mind if you fall in love with someone they can control you and you lose power. Press J to jump to the feed. As a child, she frames two … Also, the fact that Aron couldn't believe what he saw might even prove to her that love and good side, which she had never believed or pretended to do so, actually exist. Her character destroyed everything around her: family, home, community and finally, herself. I talked about how this difference between Cal and Cathy represented hope for the new generations to overcome the sin's of it's past (in this case, the cycle of Cain and Abel). I wish you could italic in Reddit because I “felt” East of Eden. It was as if she never used/had a chance, deliberately came to terms with lacking main element of human nature: empathy, ability to love, and decided to kill self. 85. Despite his actions as a child, I thought he genuinely wanted to make up to Adam during all those times they spent together and instead of doing that he somehow kept ruining it all because of his obsession with being a disappointing child; And the fact that he read through Cathy right away makes his characterization even greater. I don’t think ‘she’s not a character’ is a right way to describe her. The word that solves this crossword puzzle is 4 letters long and begins with A Not that it doesn't deserve high praise, it's a perfect snapshot of the Great Depression/Dust Bowl era, and as many people related to it at the time it was incredibly popular and still is as a Great American Novel. I loved how subtly tragic Charles was. The narrator says that there are monsters in this world. A summary of Part X (Section7) in John Steinbeck's East of Eden. And her introduction in Chapter 8 is one of the best introductions of an antagonist in literature. 3 years ago. Share. Test your knowledge Take the Part Two, Chapters 18-22 Quick Quiz. I loved reading about her actions because she really fucks shit up and is the main plot developer for much of the book, but I don't think her evilness was explained all too well. Report Save. She had no such ability. Continue this thread level 2. Her suicide was beautifully written yet dark on the subject matter. Cathy Ames from ‘East of Eden’... spoilers. She wasn't a good person, but I can't deny I have sympathy with her. When one only speaks internally with one's self, the dialogue is a little twisted. No wonder Samuel is his best friend. There have only been two fictional characters I've identified strongly with and one of them is Tom Hamilton (not the suicide part, but I understood it). After Cathy leaves and Adam slips into his comatose state, Lee raises the boys. It's a clear hint of an ‘evil destroys itself’ philosophy and whilst sad, it’s very captivating throughout the book. Cathy, the mother, is evil personified, the snake, and Steinbeck uses imagery and her actions to play that out. She does these terrible things because she's bad, so she's evil because she's evil? How exactly did you interpret what Steinbeck meant when he talked about her being born with a "malformed soul"? Title: East of Eden Significance of the title: The novel is intended to be an allegory for or a retelling of the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis, from Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden through the story of Cain and Abel. This is a moderated subreddit. Previous page Part Two, Chapters 18–22 page 1 Next section Part Three, Chapters 23–26. 37. You've just posted about my favorite book. Fully? These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of East of Eden. In either case, she has zero support in her oddness and as a result, while growing up, she stayed within herself and created her own little world. She considered herself outcast from others or maybe even humanity entirely. I am still haunted. 2 months ago. I still now see myself as the Caleb of the family; even talked with my dad, also a fan, very philosophically about it. The chapter describing her agony of solitude was touching and yet giving more of humanity to her character. It was Samuel Hamilton ... that lifted her skin and looked underneath''. Charles Trask could not have described Cathy Ames any better. If you're looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our Weekly Recommendation Thread, Suggested Reading page, or ask in r/suggestmeabook. She started to use her sexuality to control Charles and get him pitted against Adam. Initially, she seemed pure evil - killing her own parents and latin teacher, or seducing teenage children. Then she shaped her outer world to model it. I just finished writing a paper on Cal. Sorry that was long, this is just my favorite novel. A short summary of John Steinbeck's East of Eden This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of East of Eden. I agree. Whatever Cathy's reasons, her character is fascinating and such a standout! She did make the plot ‘move’ indeed, I don’t see how characters like Adam and Charles would develop if it wasn’t for her, but she herself developed on the way. And she was a slave to work always making sure that she was on top. Second, when a bad/evil character is introduced to the story, a solid bit of narrative expectation is introduced alongside with them: Will they redeem themselves? She's a terrible person and there's nothing that takes away from that. It would have been such a shitty life to carry on. She learned how to manipulate those two boys to get them in trouble. We all worry if the decisions we make are correct. I still find it interesting that so many people, myself included, identify with Cathy. I remember thinking that my brother was a lot like Charles. I haven't read it in a while, so I think I will see how it holds up at 40. It seems like she wanted to care about him, but she couldn't. Sorry, it's been users since I've reread this and I have to go. Also, why do I need to read more Fantasy? I believe she realized she was truly hopeless at the end and instead of waiting for somebody like her to eventually take her down, she preferred to do it on her own whilst coming to realization she barely had anything each ‘decent’ human being had in common. She could have changed her actions and controlled her monstrosities, she just didn't want to. Her character is so hateful and devoted to destroying everybody she meets her whole life and I can’t help but feel sympathy. Beneath her charming, attractive facade, she is an evil woman who manipulates and destroys people for her own amusement and profit. And to be played by Jennifer Lawrence in the film (written by Gary Ross). Grapes of Wrath is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read. We're all familiar with being extremely shitty people who lack empathy, at times. The first paragraph of Cannery Row is better than most books I have read. The subtleties in East of Eden, complete to every last detail, really made the book perfect for me. The idea that we have the power to choose, to think and decide, that we're not forced. Partially? I will say that Cal Trask was the first fictional character that I ever fell in love with. I think that maybe Cathy was as extreme as psychopathic or even as common as just bipolar. Have a pretty extensive and thorough understanding of The Old Testament also made it a little more enjoyable for me to be able to see all of the parallels that Steinbeck was drawing. 10. Cathy Ames, later known as Kate Trask or Kate Albey, is a fictional character and the main antagonist in John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden.She is the wife of main protagonist Adam Trask, and the mother of his twin sons, Caleb and Aron. I love the glimpses into his mind as he set about creating these characters. Did you notice this? Oh right she's evil. I believe Cathy has come to realization that she had been not fooling around people, but that she had done herself. My favorite book too, and I agree that Cathy's actions are purely evil. 2 months ago. A man myself, I'm well acquainted with the sweet temptation to see The Unattainable Woman as someone who must have a deep personal flaw. First, she's not a character as much as a contrived and simple device to produce conflict in a plot that would otherwise grind to a halt. Edit: To answer your question, Adam Trask is probably my most disappointing character. ... Cathy wins the trust of Faye, the madam of a local brothel, then poisons her and fools the doctors and other prostitutes into thinking that Faye died naturally. If you're looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our Weekly Recommendation Thread, Suggested Reading page, or ask in r/suggestmeabook. Enjoy. Actually, when East of Eden was first released, critics mostly panned it, it wasn't critically praised. That really made me think about my life for a few days. She is a fantastic character. Her character is so hateful and devoted to destroying everybody she meets her whole life and I can’t help but feel sympathy. Third, establishing the irredeemable, irrational, inexplicable Evil force of this book as a smoking hot seductress from childhood, reeks of classic male resentment. I have no idea why Steinbeck gets a free pass with Cathy (actually it's because he's popular with the "literary" fiction buffs, and they have blind spots all over the place). She acted on her base, animal instincts and either fled or fought or laid low until she could do those things. I haven't read it in a while, so I think I will see how it holds up at 40. Learning how to use her powers of sexuality she seduced and then completely controlled her school teacher. LitCharts Teacher Editions. East of Eden is one of my all time favorites (it really blew me away at 16), but I have to agree with that assessment. I had only read 'Of Mice and Men' before - once as teenager (loved it) and again as an adult (was disappointed and found it quite flawed) - so I was surprised by how engaging and easy to read East of Eden was, especially considering its epic length. It was chilling to read her chapters with its depths and complexities. As a reader of Fantasy, with its frequently banal good-evil dichotomies, even I have come to expect more motivation behind a capital E Evil plot-driver. Cathy Ames, or Kate, as she becomes known later, is by far the most manipulative, conniving, and cunning character in East of Eden. Reply. Just got this tattooed on my wrist 3 weeks ago. I … As for Cathy's penultimate act (before the suicide) in East of Eden, I saw it as a final act of spite against a son, Cal, in whom she saw herself. Lee becomes the resident scholar. Cannery Row marks Steinbeck as a great writer in my eyes, but he's lazy in East of Eden. Share. He knows a ton about literature, and even learns Hebrew just to figure out the meaning behind the story of Cain and Abel. You should enjoy The Grapes of Wrath too, it's great. Or maybe not at all? But do you really think she had no choice? It seems a bit unfair to call Steinbeck ‘lazy’ whilst if you read any of his notes on writing ‘East of Eden’ he carefully tries to craft characters, including Cathy, to be as realistic as possible. And here Steinbeck comes along and kills all of the excitement with the "malformed soul" line, clearly establishing that no redemption is possible. It's my favorite book. Everyone else in the story gets understandable, relateable motivations for what they do. It's toxic and needs to stop. I read this at 14 because this girl told me that she was Cathy and I was Charles. That took quite some time. I loved how she had her humane 'attacks' where her character would suddenly feel as though she lacked something, break down and cry. She was simply born with a gear out of ratio, she has a consciousness that developed differently than most people and her character is a result of that. The fact that Steinbeck used the traditional, caring, nurturing, loving mother figure as Satan is fascinating to me and for me, adds a nice flavor to the entire novel. East of Eden is a novel by American author and Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck.Published in September 1952, the work is regarded by many to be Steinbeck's most ambitious novel and by Steinbeck himself to be his magnum opus. From somewhere middle during the novel, she started to seem a bit aware of her weakness (I would say she lacked love in christian definition - she was full of evils, so she can exploit her dark side to push people around her to edge, but that comes with a cost of not having the hefty emotion, love) I think Aron was the last straw. Narrator is subjective and points out throughout the book how ‘perhaps he was wrong to describe her as a monster from the get-go which gives reader a choice, either to keep their first impression on her and let her be the ‘monster’ or become eager to see more in a character besides her being evil. If so, that's it. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of East of Eden and what it means. Most critics to this day, however, have not accepted Steinbeck’s vagueness in the matter, and the bulk of critics of East of Eden focus on Cathy as the novel’s major flaw. Why? By: Emily, Jessie, Amanda, Libby, Hailey, Reina, Kameron, Sean, David, and Austin My theory is that Cathy discovering her sexuality at such a young age, contributed to her forming the outlook on the world that she did. I'm on my second read through. Cathy/Kate in East of Eden. The narrator of East of Eden himself is somewhat confounded by Cathy, as he struggles to understand her and revises his opinion of her throughout the novel. A summary of Part X (Section2) in John Steinbeck's East of Eden. I think the character cathy is my favorite in the book I highly recommend the 80's TV mini series adaptation. I thought that her actions were interesting and engaging, and that she was just the perfectly evil character. It always felt like she sort of reached a point of no return in her constant, lifelong decline towards true evil, and yet not entirely. I wish a little of the richness of his character had been in Cathy. In any case, Cathy is a symbol of the human evil that will always be present in the world, and her loss of power over Adam and Cal bolsters the novel’s message that individuals have the choice to reject evil in favor of good. Try reading some of his short stories: To a God Unknown and Cannery Row are amazing. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Cathy never woulda gotten Charles, he's too GD sharp and for a while was gearing up to be the male equivalent. East of Eden is one of my all time favorites (it really blew me away at 16), but I have to agree with that assessment. Steinbeck's Journal of a Novel (letters to his editor that he used as warm-up pages) is about his work and life during the writing of East.of Eden. My professor and I talked about it for a while and I eventually concluded that this difference in free will between them represents the evils of the generations prior to Steinbeck but the new generation's power to overcome them. I don’t think she was a device to create conflict in the story. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. All of her fears were the same that anyone of us could have, except that the situations were much more devious. His father forgives him at the end by whispering, "Timshel". She didn't want to be human or pretend to be anything but evil and insensitive, and yet she wasn't. I liken it to Walter White in Breaking Bad; a character being so evil and terrible that you actually root for them because they're the most interesting character. Press J to jump to the feed. There is immediately something different about her, like her prettiness seems to be concealing something… something bad. My favorite long Steinbeck. Steinbeck calls her a monster, and everybody else seems to think that she's the evilest thing that ever walked the earth. His inner conflict made him very...human, in a relatable way. Her pursuit of power and freedom paradoxically ended up being her prison. Sort of, but not exactly. Finding the missing piece that lets the plot run frictionlessly is fundamentally difficult, and being able to do so is what marks a truly great writer. It's an unknown that will keep me excited for the rest of the story. Her long plan to push Faye to tombstone is remarking how ruthless and yet perfect she was in terms of gaining what she wanted. Cathy is destructive and Steinbeck made it quite clear as early as her childhood. She was just a tragic lost cause in my opinion. She uses her sexuality to control anyone she chooses and to get what she wants from that person. I just finished reading this for my American Literature class. Love her. I don’t understand how you basically jammed her character into a ‘toxic male fantasy’. I will say that Cal Trask was the first fictional character that I ever fell in love with. In East of Eden, Cyrus’s dishonestly won fortune, which he either steals or gains from a career built on lies about his supposed Civil War experience, is a symbol for this original sin. Cathy is extremely manipulative and cunning. I took the "malformed soul" line to be an indication that she was a prototypical psychopath. I like OP's description of Cathy. For me it seems like she got defeated and decided to leave the world as if she wouldn't never been there. I always thought that along with how messed up Adam was too. East of Eden Chapter 8. East of Eden literature essays are academic essays for citation. For travel: consider a trip to California and visit the museum. A boy/man's fanciful imagination coming up with comfortable, external explanations for why the beautiful girl/woman he covets doesn't return his love. However I would like to talk about her motivations for a moment. You can, put a single * around your words.
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