Katie McAlister
AP US History- Mr. Esselman
AP Language- Mr. Jennings
May 21, 2014
East of Eden by John Steinbeck and the 1950s
Through East of Eden, we see the truth of the 1950’s, as John Steinbeck gets
straight to the heart of the matter. There is no true perfection because through the veil of
material possessions and consumerism there is an underlying theme of imperfection,
discord and strife
The 1950s could be described in many ways, but the way that describes it best
would be the perfect time period, until you look past the shallow material possessions. It
is easy to accept the statement that “the 1950’s were a time of perfection, unparalleled
prosperity, and the happiest days the world has ever seen”. But this is just the opposite of
John Steinbeck’s implications in his book East of Eden. This book works to prove that
there is no true perfection, no matter how hard you work to achieve it.
In the 1950s, the media works to show a side of the decade that is driven by
materialism and consumerism, where everything is perfect and exciting.Even though
materialism and media drove the economy and the culture during the 1950s, the real
political turmoil of the time, which was lurking right under the surface, could never be
described as perfect, which was the exact opposite of what the media wanted the citizens
to believe. The media promoted a glamorous aspect of the 1950’s, while ignoring the
troubled times for politics.
When East of Eden and the events of the 1950’s are compared, there are emerging
themes of imperfection, and the attempts to hide it. None of these “cover-ups” are
successful, when you truly look at the time period and the writing produced in it.
Written as a product of the 1950’s, the years where everything is seen as perfect
and carefree, John Steinbeck’s East of Eden presents the contrary; no matter how hard
you search for, or attempt to make, there is no perfect Eden- it is always just out of reach.
The title and biblical references, as well as the character Adam, shows all these
imperfections, and just how broken the world is.
The title, East of Eden, has significance in it of itself. Eden is a biblical reference
to a place of perfection. “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, In Eden…”
(Gen. 2:8 NIV). The misconception comes from this small wording. “East of Eden” is not
referring to the direction that the garden was placed, but further east. Beyond Eden to the
east was a land filled with the unholy, the imperfect; called Nod (which means wandering
in Hebrew). In Genesis 4:16, Nod is described as a land out of the presence of God. In
Steinbeck’s East of Eden there is, on the very first page, one sentence that is subtle, yet
relevant. “I found myself in a love of the east and a dread for the west” (Steinbeck 2) The
east being the world of the imperfect, with freedom, but without God; the west being
Eden, where everything is perfect, but to get in you have to abide by God’s “rules”. This
shows that the speaker subconsciously loves the ideals of the world, which inevitably
lead to “brokenness” in the Christian faith. With these allusions to the bible, it is not a
stretch to say that this is exactly what the speaker is getting at. This title lends itself to the
notion that this book is in a setting where nothing can be anywhere near perfect, as it is
set in the place of banishment to the east.
All biblical references in Steinbeck’s East of Eden are either negative, or end in
an unhappy way. Out of all of the beautiful and glorifying stories that come through the
bible, Steinbeck only chooses the ones that illustrate how broken and unhappy the world
truly is.
Adam’s name alone stands to symbolize the first man of the earth, who was lead
astray by the first woman, Eve. In East of Eden, his Eve was Cathy. She blinded him to
the sins that were committed. Biblically, the deception led to the lifting of innocence
from Adam and Eve’s eyes by the fruit of the tree of knowledge. In East of Eden, the
deception led to Adam becoming more innocent; believing all the lies that Cathy
presented him with; her stories about her family and where they are, her previous work.
Also through Cathy and Adam, the story of Hosea appears, but instead of ending
with redemption in Christ, the story takes a sick turn and Cathy runs away to continue her
life as a proud sinner and whore. Unlike in the bible, Adam does not pursue her.
Through Cal and Aron, we see the story of Cain and Abel, which were almost the
boys namesake (Steinbeck 264). The jealousy of one drove him to murder his own
brother. Samuel Hamilton parallels the story of Job, a godly man who was tested again
and again with terrible afflictions. Samuel was a man that was so bright, but could never
get his ideas noticed. One who toiled so hard, but his land will not produce even a drop of
water. A man who watched as his family slowly passed before his eyes. Yet he still was
not defeated. “ ‘I do not believe all men are destroyed…. Surely most men are destroyed,
but there are others who like pillars of fire guide frightened men through the darkness….
What glory! It is true that we are weak and sick and quarrelsome, but if that is all we ever
were, we would, millenniums ago, have disappeared from the earth”(Steinbeck 307).
Such a great man was put through so much without a great climax. Throughout the book
we see themes of Greed, Lust, Hate, Contempt, Restlessness, Failure, Death, and not one
ray of sunlight to burst through and show any happiness or triumph.
Even though the biblical standpoint alone could show the theme of failure and
imperfection, the character Adam is used to take that one step further. He is full of hopes
and dreams but instead is crushed by his will to please, his failure to make his dreams a
reality, and his innocence. His will to please others takes the place of his own desires. He
is never fully satisfied because he lives his life in the way that others wish him to, not the
way that he wants. In his teen years, Adam joins the military despite his contempt for
violence (Steinbeck 39). Even though he tells his father that he doesn’t want to enlist, his
protests are ignored, and he finally gives in and agrees to join the cavalry to make his
father proud (Steinbeck 28). Later, Adam wants to do the impossible, and please Cathy.
Nothing he seems to do affects her disinterest so he buys a huge plot of beautiful land,
fixes up the house, and prepares the “perfect Eden”, but she does not respond so he
continues to agonize over every detail to make it perfect, even though everything he does
will never be enough. He would fly to the moon and back just to please Cathy. He is
wrapped around her finger, and eager to do anything for her, even though she is clearly
disinterested in him. He sees her as flawless, and all he wants to do is please her. “’I’m
going to make a garden so good, so beautiful, that it will be a proper place for her to live,
and a fitting place for her light to shine on’”(Steinbeck 169).
In East of Eden, Adam has many goals that he wishes to achieve. And none of
them end perfectly or the way he planned. He had wanted a wife, and he ended up with a
woman who did not love him, slept with his brother, and shot him after she had his kids
so that she could run away and become a whore again. Adam had wanted an Eden- yet
his land that he had a purpose for sat and wasted while he mourned his wife. The
windmills and wells that he had planned on building to make his land more hospitable
were never completed. The cabbage packing industry failed in its first attempt. The
children that he so dearly wanted, he did not even get to know. The constant search for
Eden, and it prevailing theme of failure and pain proffers the idea that perfection is
impossible to achieve, even in the greatest people.
In the 1950s, there is a front of perfection set forth by the media, but if one were
to look closer, beyond this media, it is obvious that this front was in complete
contradiction to the politics of the period. The invention of the color TV accelerated the
excitement in materialism, and raised the expectation of every household, all the while
ignoring the turmoil of the time period, and replacing that with desires unseen before.
Looking at the popular advertisements, shows and movies, it is blatant that the romantic
fairy tales, perfect lives, and upbeat attitudes of the characters are just a distraction from
the political turmoil surrounding the population. It is undeniable that there were good
times in the 1950s, seeing as how the Second World War had ended, and all the troops
were returning home, but this front put forth by the media lasted through every Social
Movement, injustice, and insecure government decision without faltering. This pretense
allowed the people who were not directly affected by the politics to ignore the imminent
world around them, and live with blinders, as though nothing were wrong.
In “Leave it to Beaver”, a popular show that aired in 1957, the storyline is
simple and upbeat; after all, it is filed under the “Feel-Good” section of Netflix
nowadays. Theodore Cleaver, aka “Beaver”, always manages to get into some sort of
trouble, contrary to his families efforts to keep him out of it. The ending is usually
resolved with a silly compromise, where everyone involved is happy, and Beaver never
gets any more punishment than a stern talking to. This show itself describes the perfect
world that families and children alike were brought up to believe in. One where harsh
punishments were avoided, and no one remains unhappy any longer than is acceptable.
Past the storyline itself, and into the families shown, you recognize a reoccurring theme
in many of the period- including Singing In the Rain, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Make
Room for Daddy. Everything is neat and tidy, at all times. Every person beyond the main,
quirky characters are freshly pressed and looking their best at all times. All of these
popular films and shows put the 1950s in unrealistic portrayals of perfection and
happiness. This is unconsciously recognized in the minds of the citizens, and acts as a
pressure to improve the looks of ones outside, even if it is not felt in the heart. This
improving of looks forces upon the people an epidemic of consumerism, of materialism.
No longer were people aware what they need before going to look for it, they were being
TOLD. What they want, what they need is all being dictated by a tiny box with pixelated,
color images, and this mindset forces the major issues of the political world to fly out the
window- replaced with the excitement and need for new technology, new inventions.
This was all promoted by the media in the 1950’s, aided by the new invention of the now
affordable, more accessible color TV.
Now there are a rare few popular movies that did show the problems of the
1950’s, but they did so in a humorous, allegoric light that was for entertainment. In “The
Crucible”, a play about the Salem witch trials is used to illustrate how fear in the hearts of
citizens can lead to irrational behavior. This is paralleling the “Red Scare” that was
introduced by Senator McCarthy that caused panic in the people. This Red Scare was the
fear of communist infiltration in America. Senator McCarthy went around accusing his
opponents of being communist and it got to the point where freedom of speech was taken
away for fear of being accused. Godzilla was originally Japanese, but illustrated the fear
in nuclear testing. Instead of going out and changing the conditions, they wrote a
screenplay and aired it on the big screen as a form of common entertainment. This
allowed those who wished to only look superficially, to turn a blind eye to the real scare,
and enjoy the fantasy version portrayed.
It cannot be truthfully said that there were no good times in America in the 1950s.
World War II had ended, and the troops were returning home. No longer was the talk
about victory, but about the end to all wars (Goldman 4). Industry was booming, and jet
passenger airliners were becoming more popular. Computers were speeded through
development, and the “Golden Age” as it was called, was rising in prosperity (Maier
Smith Keyssar Kelves 828, 829, 830). But even with these advancements, there was not
enough good to overlook the horrible events that were happening around the world at the
time. Without looking at all the social advancement, past the time of “revolution for the
social culture”, you would see a time of political instability, spurred by war and fear.
At home, the Civil rights movement was in swing in the mid 1950’s. This met a
lot of white resistance, and the blacks made very little progress in obtaining the rights that
they were entitled to. Brutality increased, and the rights given to the African Americans
were suppressed even further. Desegregation increased, violence ensued, and not
everyone wanted to listen.
One of the biggest sources of fear in America, in the 1950s, was the ongoing
threat of the Cold War. This conflict was caused by the Soviet refusal to release Western
Europe from their control. The United States became more and more rigid, and resistant
to the Soviet’s further advancing moves to take control of more land (O’Neill 53). During
this time of heightened US and USSR tension, the subject was not helped as the Soviets
began developing atomic/nuclear weapons, as the United States was moving towards
demobilization. This demobilization brought about a lot of doubt when two American
citizens, Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, were executed for espionage. They were passing on
nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. So if the Soviet Union were to attack, with their new
plans of armaments, America would be completely outmatched, and the US would no
longer possess a monopoly on the worlds only, most powerful, nuclear weapons (Maier
Smith Keyssar Kelves 795). This led to a buildup of the “American Atomic Arsenal”, and
the establishing of the Atomic Energy Commission, to give civilian voice to a military
operation (Maier Smith Keyssar Kelves 795). The citizens were scared. This Soviet
development of nuclear weapons that could be launched at any time placed fear in the
heart of the country, and a “Duck and Cover” drill was added to schools nationwide, to
prepare in the event of an atomic explosion.
All the fear in 1950s America seems to have stemmed from the concept of
communism, which was catalyzed in 1947, with the Truman Loyalty Program (Maier
Smith Keyssar Kelves 808). This came when there were accusations of American
sabotage from within the government itself. This claims that there were communists and
communist sympathizers in our own government were too close to home. How could we
fight an ideal overseas, when it was present in our own government? This caused a
frenzy. Government officials were laid off, communist parties and persons had to be
registered, teachers had to take oaths that they would not teach or support communist
ideals in the impressionistic minds of the children they taught (Maier Smith Keyssar
Kelves 810). As these allegations of a communistic government finally were being
handled, Senator Joseph McCarthy made the internal subversion a popular subject once
again. He supported the “fair” movements to eradicate the communist party, but he also
used this to his advantage (Goldman 249). McCarthy started accusing many of his
opponents of being communist, which caused a huge uproar in political elections
(Goldman 250). He used “reckless charges of communist infiltration” to raise his own
popularity as well as secure his opponents decrease in popularity (Maier Smith Keyssar
Kelves 811). This “Red Scare” caused many well-known officials to be doubted, as they
were now associated with the communist ideals that were causing so much fear in
America, as well as in the east. This “McCarthyism” left a long lasting impression on
America.
Even after the Truman administration, Eisenhower had to deal with the aftermath
of this fear. He tightened loyalty requirements for the federal employees, and close to
2,200 workers were ejected from government jobs when they could not comply (Maier
Smith Keyssar Kelves 820). But later in response to McCarthyism, he showed what he
was made of by not giving in to another anti-communist bill in 1950 (O’Neill 182). As
well as dealing with this hysteria, America was still competing with the Soviet Union.
America was pressured with staying ahead in advancements in weaponry, cheap but of
good quality; as well as space technology. By the mid 1950s the Soviet development of a
hydrogen bomb was confirmed as successful. This made the sudden launch of Sputnik in
1957 a testament to the fact that the Soviets were finally winning the race to new
developments. A country that we once thought as “industrially and scientifically
backwards” was now ahead of the US (Bowles 1). America, embarrassingly, could not
launch a weather satellite until 1959 (O’Neill 212). When the launch was finally
successful, it brought about the establishment of NASA, to coordinate space research in a
peaceful, non-militarized environment (Maier Smith Keyssar Kelves 823).
Looking past involvement with the Soviet Union, there were other horrible events
going on in the world that were ignored in the media. The Korean War came quickly, but
it only strengthened America’s Policy of Containment, as we dealt with the forceful
expansion/imposition of communism (Newman Schmalbach 556). At first, Truman’s
decision to get involved was very popular: enlistment rates were high, and newspapers
glowed about our role in protecting freedom (O’Neill 117). But with popularity came
continued involvement. The draft was extended, so that we were no longer soley involved
in one invasion, but the whole war (O’Neill 118). Many citizens felt like we were now
being forced into a war. Around the world there were other upheavals almost unheard of
when the history of the 1950s is reviewed. The Hungarian Revolution, the Suez Crisis,
and Krushchev Denouncing Stalin all happened in the late 50s, and even though there
was limited American Involvement, there was still an unusual under-emphasis od
importance placed on these events (Maier Smith Keyssar Kelves 824).
Through East of Eden, we see the truth of the 1950’s, as John Steinbeck
gets straight to the heart of the matter. There is no true perfection because through the
veil of material possessions and consumerism there is an underlying theme of
imperfection, discord and strife. This truth is revealed through the dissatisfaction of
Adam, the emphasis of disappointing biblical references in the midst of a seeming state
of perfection, and the identity and idealization of Cathy, who embodies the very essence
of the 1950s.
Adam is the perfect embodiment of the mindset in the fifties. His desires are
purely materialistic, yet he is never quite satisfied with what he has. There is never any
complete satisfaction; he is always striving for more. The biggest of his desires can be
summed up as Eden. He believes that his happiness will come from the possession of the
perfect land, the perfect family. He ignores the disinterest of his wife, because from his
oblivion he can believe that everything is going to be perfect. There are always projects,
and he never reaches an end to his money or prosperity. He almost thinks nothing of it.
This need for fulfillment, for perfection, can only show how broken Adam’s life is. If he
were happy, he would never need the perfect ending, and even if there was, he never gets
it. The harshness of the unknown catches up to him, just as the politics of the 1950’s
caught up to America. In East of Eden, after Cathy left Adam, out blossomed marital
issues, and unhealthy actions. In the 1950’s, out blossomed the Civil Rights Movement,
which in no way eased racial tensions. In the end, even though Adam had everything he
could have ever wanted materialistically, nothing was completely fulfilling.
In the time context of the book, biblical stories are usually uplifting and
redeeming to those who have sinned. That is the reason Christianity boomed with such
popularity- it offered redemption to anyone who believed, no matter your social
standings. The biblical stories provide a personal story of how the evil in one’s life was
turned around, and eventually used for good. However the stories paralleled in East of
Eden have no happy endings. This shows the reality of the 1950’s because the turmoil
that lies just under the surface of the front of perfection cannot be denied. Steinbeck uses
the story of Job through Samuel, but instead it ends in no redemption. The story of Cain
and Abel illustrated through Cal and Aron, ends in no punishment for the trespasser of
evil. Hosea, impressed upon the relationship of Cathy and Adam has no happy ending.
These harsh truths that come from something beautiful and redeeming like the bible, say
something about the harsh political climate of the 1950’s, that appear under the image of
glamour and perfection. This shows that even though there may be a beautiful polish on a
situation, nothing is ever truly perfect.
The creation of the character Cathy is the most ingenious parallel that Steinbeck
made through East of Eden. Cathy goes by many different names that escape her true
identity, just as the 1950s goes by many different names, one after another to escape
reality. Even though the 50’s were undeniably the 50’s, the citizens were scrambling for
more and more ways to believe that everything was perfect. This was their way of
coping. As Cathy moves on from one situation to the next, she changes her name from
Catherine, to Cathy, to Kate to hide her true self. Everywhere she goes, people comment
on her beauty and innocence. But the innocence is only a front. Like any front, there is
always another side. Cathy, perfection in the eyes of many suitors including Adam, was
capable of cold-blooded murder, and maintaining any lie she so chooses to perpetuate.
When the veil is lifted, usually by alcohol, the cruel, and demeaning side of Cathy is
revealed, with nothing to retain it. To the people surrounding her at the time, this is truly
shocking and most of the time painful. In similar fashion, the 1950s moved from the Age
of Conformity, to the Age of Consumerism, to the Golden Age. The very essence of the
1950’s is wrapped up into the very actions and identity of Cathy- the seemingly perfect
person. People get caught up in the image of the 1950’s. It is seen as a time of glamour,
beauty, and domestic perfection. But this too was a front, put forward by the media.
When the excitement and glamour was pulled back, the widespread climate of fear that
was sweeping the nation was undeniable. The shock of the communist support becoming
a reality in America, the threat of military involvement with the Soviet, and the expansion
of Soviet ideals through the eastern world threatened the very existence of freedom and
democracy that America was built upon. The cruelty and racial tensions were not
contained by the equality promoting acts, and the Cold War was putting undeniable
stresses on the citizens, as there was a constant threat of nuclear warfare.
In East of Eden, we see the pain Adam is put through, as the truth of who his wife
really was came into the light. In the same way, the veil put forth in the 1950’s by the
media did nothing to ease the political unrest of the period. The way you look at a time
period of issue does not define that in it’s entirety. The rest of the issue does not
disappear if you simply decide to overlook it. This is one of the lessons that our time can
draw from. Hiding a disagreement or political movement does not make it go away.
America in the future should avoid this tactic of “covering everything in glitter” to
distract from the real issues. If citizens are more aware of their country’s politics, and the
implications they have on the world around them, disasters like World Wars, and the 3rd
Reich’s rise to power could at least be slowed. If awareness is all it takes to
prevent calamity, it is obvious from the example of the 50’s, that the excitement of
material possessions and the rush of consumerism must become dramatically less, to
prevent a front from obscuring the vision of the public.
Annotated Bibliography
Bowles, Chester. Ideas, people and peace. [1st ed. New York: Harper, 1958. Print.
This book focused mainly on the Cold War, and ho peace could be reached between the
warring nations. I used this source to illustrate the launch of Sputnik and how that
affected the citizens in America.
Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963 (1988).
This book focuses on Martin Luther King’s life in great detail. I originally was going to
talk about the Civil Rights Movement in the historical component of the essay, but it
became too big, and too in depth of a topic for the purpose I was looking for. Would be
very suitable for a paper centered solely on the Civil Rights Movement.
"Civil Rights Movement." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 May
2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement>.
Provides a general overview of specific actions in the Civil Rights Movement. After I
omitted that section of my paper, I also omitted this source. Good for the General picture,
but would need accompanying sources to be more effective
Gaddis, John. The United States and Origins of the Cold War 1941-1947 (1992)
Provided a detailed account of the Cold War and why it started. After deliberation, I
decided that I liked the accounts given by Bowles, O’Neill, and Goldman better. Still, this
book is very useful in research and background knowledge in preparation for an
informational essay.
Goldman, Eric Frederick. The crucial decade: America, 1945-1955.. [1st ed. New York:
Knopf, 1956. Print.
This book focuses on the years 1945 to 1955. It focuses on foreign policy, and the
political climate of America Post-WWII. I implemented it s a rebuttal to the 50’s not
being the happy days, because the beginning chapter talks about the after war feelings
Godzilla. 1956. DVD.
This film shows the fear surrounding the nuclear testing in a fictional light. The nuclear
testing causes a gigantic, dinosaur like beast to wake in Japan, and viciously attack Tokyo
Halliday, Jon and Bruce Cumings, Korea: The Unknown War (1988)
This Book is all about the Korean war, as well as Truman and Eisenhowers influences in
American involvement with it. This helps for background knowledge, but once again it
was too in-depth for me to include in my short, to the point essay.
Leave it to Beaver. 1957-1959. DVD.
In this popular TV series, the main character Theodore Cleaver, aka “Beaver”, always
manages to get into some sort of trouble, contrary to his families efforts to keep him out
of it. The ending is usually resolved with a silly compromise, where everyone involved is
happy, and Beaver never gets any more punishment than a stern talking to. This show
itself describes the perfect world that families and children alike were brought up to
believe in. This show was a major part of my media analysis
Make Room for Daddy. 1955. DVD.
In this popular TV series, there are certain 1950’s ideals illustrated subconsciously.
Everyone is always happy, and when they are not, they are ignored- put to the side.
Everyone is neatly pressed, and there is an uplifting song in every episode. I used this as
another major component to my media analysis in the 1950’s
Maier, Pauline, Merritt Smith, Alexander Keyssar, and Daniel Kevles. Inventing
America: a history of the United States. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. Print.
This textbook iss a great tertiary source, that gives you big pictures and generalizations. I
used this to first give myself background knowledge, and then to pinpoint events that I
wanted more information on. I believe that this mix of general ideas and detailed
descriptions helped me develop in my writing.
"Music Played in the 1950's Popular Music From the 50s." 1950's Music played in the
50's Bands groups singers from The People History. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2014.
<http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/50smusic.html>.
This Website helps illustrate the popular music that was played in the 1950’s. I originally
was going to talk more about this topic, but decided to focus more on television itself
Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States history: preparing for the
advanced placement examination. New York, N.Y.: Amsco School Publications,
1998. Print.
This AP Preparation book helped me in a similar way to that of the textbook. This gave
me an idea on the biggest issues of the time period, and allowed me to be more
selective on the events I chose to add into my paper.
O’Neill, William L.. American high: the years of confidence, 1945-1960. New York:
Free Press, 1986. Print.
This book is an amazing source that completely envelopes the decade of the 1950’s.
Starting in 1945, the book allows just enough introduction that you can clearly
understand the premise of each action/movement that happens in the 50’s. It allows for a
very rounded view of the decade.
Rosenburg, Jennifer. "1950s Timeline - History Timeline of the 1950s." About.com 20th
Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2014.
<http://history1900s.about.com/od/timelines/>.
This website was a very preliminary form of research. It allowed an overview look at the
major events in the 50’s. I would not recommend citing such a general source, but
it is a good starting place for more in-depth research
Singin’ in the Rain. 1952. DVD.
A popular, humorous movie that shows lighthearted attitudes and sharp wit in the beloved
celebrities. Everything is neat and tidy, and perfect. This was a strong choice for media
analysis, as it showed the attitude, happiness and glamour that was presented to the
citizens in the 1950’s
"Society of the 1950's." Society of the 1950's. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014.
<http://elcoushistory.tripod.com/society1950.html>.
Another preliminary website source that helped me gain footing with background
knowledge, and find more specific topics that I wanted to delve into in my paper.