East of Eden is arguably John Steinbeck’s most ambitious novel — in it, he sets out to recreate the biblical conflict of Cain and Able.

Well-written, complex, and ending with no resolution (typical of Steinbeck), I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Perhaps my favorite character was intended to be Samuel Hamilton, a wise and perceptive immigrant from Ireland. Maybe Lee, the Chinese manservant with deep philosophies and loyalties was meant to draw my sympathies.

Certainly I’m not meant to like the “main characters”, morally ambiguous men through two generations who helplessly reenact the famous clash of Cain and Abel. They seem to have no idea where they wish to go in life, what they wish to do with what life dishes out at them, and all are manipulated — knowingly or not — by Cathy Ames.

Cathy Ames, Cathy Trask, or Kate — her three names throughout her life, is meant to represent Satan. She’s a thoroughly despicable character who consistently exhibits lack of morals and a penchant for violence. Why then, is she the only character I could stand? From an early age she had a goal, she knew what she wanted to be doing, and she pursued it. Cathy had no scruples, no morals, probably no sanity, and a very twisted sense of right and wrong, but at least she wasn’t living her life in a dither of indecision.

Every other character in the book made no decisions, and fairly let life pass them by in a haze of passion and apathy. As a result, Cathy stood out as the one character both able and willing to decide her life.

request East of Eden from Howard County Library
posted by Iris