Eden
Chapters 25-32
Vocab
1. Inexorable:
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(Adjective)
not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped
"It was their first experience with the inexorable logic of
women, which is overwhelming even, or perhaps
especially, when it is wrong" (345)
First seen used in 1542
Modern day 'relentless'
o
The sun is inexorable because it
will always set, and always rise.
Vocab
2. Queue: (Noun)
a braid of hair usually worn hanging at the back of
the head
"She was dressed like a man and she had braided her
hair in a man's queue" (357)
First known use was in 1748
Modern day 'braid'
o
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The Chinese queue is worn by
the Manchus from central Manchuria
and the Chinese in China.
Vocab
3. Magnanimity:
(Noun)
the quality of being magnanimous : loftiness of spirit
enabling one to bear trouble calmly, to disdain
meanness and pettiness, and to display a noble
generosity
"The truculence went out of the boy and a magnanimity
took its place" (366)
First seen used in the 14th century
Modern day 'high-mindedness'
o
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Your magnanimity will bring you universal
Vocab
4. Cantankerous: (Adjective)
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o difficult or irritating to deal with
" I'm getting old and cantankerous" (376)
First known use: 1772
Modern day 'crabby'
The cantankerous old man
slammed the door in the face
of the census taker.
Vocab
5. Daguerreotype: (Noun)
an early photograph produced on a
silver or a silver-covered copper plate
"He went to his room and returned
and put a faded brown daguerreotype on the table in
front of Lee" (376)
First known use: 1839
Modern day 'sepia photograph'
o
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a type of photo
coloring
He learned about the new daguerreotype process, the first
Who's Who?
Loner: Lee
"Please try not to need me. That's the worst
bait of all to a lonely man." (333)
o
o
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wants to leave the Trasks to open his bookstore
too late for a wife/children
less lonely with bookstore
Who's Who?
Tempress: Abra
"She paused to let her shaft sink in. She saw
opposition, struggle, disappear. Abra had
taken control. She was the boss." (345)
o
o
Acts shy while inside the house
Changes once outside "... and there was no hint of
the shyness she had pretended inside the house"
(345)
Who's Who?
Shrew: Cathy
"I am the mother, yes-but how
do you know you are the father?"
(324)
"It was hard on you" she smiled
at him sweetly "I wasn't too hurt for your
brother" (324)
o
o
verbally abuses Adam
tries to bring him down when to him, she no longer
can
Who's Who?
Villain: Cal
"He was starting to punish Abra for liking his
brother, and this was nothing new either" (348)
"If.. Cal came upon the same anthill, he would
kick it to pieces and watch while the frantic ants
took care of their disaster." (348-349)
Evil like Charles was to Adam as kids
o Complete opposite of Aron
o "Secret punishment had grown to be almost a
creative thing with him" (348)
o
Themes
• Truth
• Power
• Good vs Evil
• Western vs Eastern Culture
• Timshel
Truth
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Lee: finally tells Adam the truth of his goals
and wants, resulting in resentful feelings
Adam: hides truth of Kate from Cal and
Aron, truth about Kate from Samuel sets him
free, face the truth of Samuel's death
Cal: discovers truth about himself from Aron,
hides truth about Kate from Aron
Power
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Cathy
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Desires power over all
 Faye, Adam, men in photos
Loses composure when power is lost
 "She was not aware that her fists beat softly on
the white oilcloth. But she did know that the
square white door was distorted with tears and
that her body shook with something that felt like
rage and also felt like sorrow" (Steinbeck 385)
Caleb
o
Desires the same power, enjoys being in control
 "Out of revenge Cal extracted a fluid of power,
Power
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Cathy / Adam
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As Cathy loses power of Adam, Adam gains power
as a father figure
"I'm free. I don't have to worry anymore. I'm free.
She's gone! She's out of me." (330)
"It was at the supper table that the boys discovered
the change in their father....He was a could of a
father...Adam listened to them and asked questions,
looked at them and saw them."
• Adam is developing a stronger relationship
with his boys as he lets go of Cathy
• Adam buys a car, writes to Charles (reviving
their relationship)
Good vs Evil
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Adam confronts Cathy
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Overcomes evil: Good triumphs for once
Light vs dark
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Samuel and Cathy
Aron vs Cal
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Constantly disagreeing and fighting
Cal enjoys inflicting pain on his brother
 "Cal felt pleasantly excited. He had found
another implement, another secret tool, to use for
any purpose he needed" (Steinbeck 338)
Aron does not understand Cal's intentions
Western vs. Eastern Culture
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Lee explains how a Chinese funeral works
"My people bury them with drums and
scatter papers to confuse the devils and put
roast pigs instead of flowers on the
grave...But our devils aren't very bright. We
can outthink them. That's some progress."
(330)
Joss paper
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used in funerals or weddings
burned as an offering
Western culture
Timshel
• Adam is determined to become a better
father, writes to charles, and buys a car
Attempt to become anything but his father
Cyrus
Doesn't want to make same mistakes as
Cyrus
"I seemed to come out of a sleep" said Adam
"In some strange way my eyes have cleared.
A weight is off me." (331)
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Symbols
• Green
• Hands
• Names
• Flowers
• Rabbit
Green
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Means growth, new beginnings, balance,
mix of blue and yellow, between hot and cold
Seen in association with Kate and her office
New beginnings for Adam
New life since Faye's death
"Some men can't see the color green, but
they may never know they can't" (Steinbeck
385)
Sees what is living and what is not in Kate,
part of her is inhuman
Hands
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"...her hands grew lean and wrinkled"
(Steinbeck 316)
o Kate's hands have aged, causing pain to her
o Strength is diminishing as she loses control to
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inflict pain on others
"Cal protected his hands" (336)
o Never used his hands in fights or to inflict pain
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o Wanted his hands clean and strong
Timshel
Names
• Cathy = Kate: pure
o Pure: simple, clear
o Evil
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o Charles, Caleb
Abra: example, lesson
o Adam, Aron
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o Goodness
Roy: regal, king, red
o Joe
Flowers
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White violets: death too soon, spiritual
wisdom, faithfulness
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Carnations: pride and beauty
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"Adam stood up, shivered and walked slowly over
the white violets and past the new grave" (Steinbeck
312)
o
Pink: love of woman or mother
Yellow: disdain, rejection, disappointment
"A great big goddam wreath of carnations" (380)
Everlastings: daisies, sunflowers, can last in
color and structure forever when dried
Rabbit
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Cal and Adam go hunting, one of them
shoots the rabbit
Killing a rabbit is also seen in another
Steinbeck book: _________?
symbolize dreams, hopes
Caleb dreams of wanting to change
Lennie wants to change
o They cannot change: Caleb is born evil, Lennie is
born aggressive
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Death of the rabbit symbolizes the inability to
change
Conflicts
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Lee vs his duties to Adam
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Wanted to have a wife and kids
Wants to own a bookstore of his own and die there
"My wish isn't as strong as it once was. I'm afraid I
could be talked out of it or, what would be worse, I
could be held back just by being needed" (Steinbeck
333)
Cal vs Himself
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Recognizes the evil within him
Purposefully antagonizes Aron and Abra
"A pain pierced Cal's heart. His planning suddenly
seemed mean and dirty to him" (375)
Conflicts
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Aron vs Cal
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Brotherly relationship: constant bickering
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Aron's belief in Adam's lie vs Cal's suspicion of his
mother's death
o
Good vs Evil
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Aron = Abel: loved by everyone, "...come upon
an anthill...he would lie on his stomach and
watch..." (348)

Cal = Cain: resented Aron, longs for love,
"...came upon the same anthill, he would kick it to
pieces and watch..." (348)
Biblical Connections
Prostitution
o Adam confronts Kate in at the brothel
o "For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow
well. Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful
among men." (Proverbs 23:27-28)
 Kate is still Adam's wife, thus she is a "wayward wife" and
corrupts other men ("multiplying the unfaithful") that sleep
with her
o "For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth
is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her
steps lay hold of hell"
 Kate's appearance vs. reality
 She is an attractive woman but her personality is "bitter as
wormwood"
Biblical Connections
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Wives/marriage
"You know, Mr. Trask, once I had a wife. I made her up just as
you did, only mine had no life outside my mind. She was good
company in my little room. I would talk and she would listen,
and then she would talk, would tell me all the happenings of a
woman's afternoon. She was very and she made coquettish
little jokes." (332)
 Lee explains his relationship with his wife
 Proverbs 31:10-31
 Does Cathy fit the Bible's description? According to
Adam?
Biblical connections - Prayer
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Cal prays to God, asking for him to be more like
his brother:
" 'Dear Lord,...let me be like Aron. Don't make me
mean. I don't want it to be...I'll give you anything
in the world, and if I haven't got it, why, I'll go for
to get it...For Jesus' sake, Amen.' Slow warm
tears were running down his cheeks."(379-380)
Matthew 21:22 - If you believe, you will receive
whatever you ask for in prayer.
Cal is truly wishing to be good, he is crying for
change
Brings up the question: Will Cal be a static or
dynamic character?
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http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/244695/East-of-Eden-Movie-Clip-I-Hate-Her-.html
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUmDxXcEtns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=HO
L7BoZ7lMQ
Who Said This?
"I expected you for a long time, and
when you didn't come I guess I forgot
you"
Kate!
Who Said This?
"I'm beginning to think you're a twisted
human or no human at all"
Adam!
Who Said This?
"Let's go to the old house and play
there. It leaks a little but it's nice"
Aron!
Who Said This?
"When i read the terms of your
brother's will it struck me that he
might have been a man with a
particularly brutal sense of play. Did
he like you?"
Lee!
Who Said This?
"Polly, if you don't watch your
language, I'll thrash you."
Liza!
Who Said This?
"What's the shape of a fried egg? How
would you color the fat and lean of a
strip of bacon?"
Dessie!
Works Cited
"Flower Meanings." The Flower Expert. Gifting Inc., 18 May 2013. Web. 18 May 2013.
Johnson, S. "Meaning of Violet Flowers." GardenGuides. Demand Media, 2010. Web. 18 May 2013.
Merriam-Webster.com Staff. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated 2013. m-w.com 18 May 2013
Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. United States of America: Penguin, 1992. Print.
TheBestNotes.com Staff. "TheBestNotes on East of Eden". TheBestNotes.com. 18 May 2013. 11 May 2008
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. "Joss Paper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 May 2013. Web. 19 May 2013.
Good News Bible. American Bible Society. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Print.