Religion By John Steinbeck s East Of Eden - 1379 Words

Religion is a central theme in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Religion constantly appears through the similarities between the Cain and Abel story, the Hebrew word timshel, and the presence of God and Fate in the novel. Throughout the book, the characters struggle with the ideas of good and evil, and choice and freewill. As the story unfolds and progresses, we see the characters deal with these things with religion being the base and the root that the book lays upon. The biblical story of Cain and Abel plays a central role in the novel East of Eden. In Genesis, Adam and Eve s sons, Cain and Abel, offered sacrifices to God. The shepherd Abel sacrifices his best lamb, while the farmer Cain offers grain. Because God prefers Abel s gift over Cain s, Cain becomes infuriated and kills his brother in a jealous rage. Adam asked, â€Å"Do you know where your brother is?† â€Å"No, I don’t,† said Cal. . . . â€Å"He hasn’t been home for two nights. Where is he?† â€Å"How do I know?† said Cal. â€Å"Am I supposed to look after him?† (410) This exchange between Adam and Cal is a direct parallel with the exchange between God and Cain that appears in the book of Genesis in the Bible. After Cain murders Abel, God realizes that Abel is missing and asks Cain where Abel is. Cain retorts, â€Å"I know not; am I my brother’s keeper?† Adam and Cal’s reenactment of this conversation links them explicitly to the biblical story and cements Cal and Aron, respectively, as surrogates for Cain and Abel. The characters ofShow MoreRelatedJohn Steinbeck s East Of Eden1087 Words   |  5 Pagesimpression on his sons, John Steinbeck portrays experiences he acquired from his childhood in the novel East of Eden through the characters’ conflicts and actions to encourage them to write their own story not dictated by their roots. Steinbeck admits in Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters that he â€Å"hopes his two young sons will find meaning in life when they grow and acquire the experiences to understand.à ¢â‚¬  Steinbeck s failure to feel accepted, accept his father s failures, and failure toRead MoreWhat Influenced John Steinbeck?. What Exactly Influenced884 Words   |  4 PagesWhat influenced John Steinbeck? What exactly influenced Steinbeck’s writings? Was it his background, his past, or was it the way he grew up and learned. There are many factors that come into play when trying to depict what exactly influenced an author. A lot of people believe that he was heavily influenced by California, where he lived. As many as nine of his works were proven to be based off of some part of california life in his time. But not all of his inspiration could simply come from CaliforniaRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Crucible 1074 Words   |  5 Pages Dylon Morrison Mr. Briggs 5 December 2014 Word Count: 978 John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. John decided to be a writer at the very young age of fourteen. â€Å"John used to lock himself in his bedroom and to be alone and write stories and poem†(John Steinbeck Biography). John was the first in his family to have a striving desire to become a writer, his father did everything he could to keep food on the table and his mother was a former schoolRead MoreThemes And Styles Of John Steinbeck s The 4033 Words   |  17 PagesJohn Buttiglione Mr. Bruno English IV Period 08 November 17, 2014 Themes and Styles of John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was born on February 26, 1902 in Salinas, California. He spent the majority of his childhood there and readers learn about his home city and childhood in his works. Steinbeck wrote novels, non-fiction books, short stories, poetry, and plays. Some of his most impactful and recognized works include: Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, The Moon is Down, EastRead MoreHow to Write a Research Paper11497 Words   |  46 PagesWriting the Research Paper Handbook and Style Guide English teachers from both Cranston High School East and Cranston High School West prepared this booklet for students learning the fundamentals of research paper writing. Much of the material was gleaned from sources listed on the acknowledgements page. The information chosen is considered suitable to fulfill the instructional needs of the teachers and to facilitate practical use by the students. 1. Topic Selection Topic selection