East of Eden Essay on Theme
John Steinbeck’s inspirational and hopeful East of Eden portrays a classic “man vs. himself” clash, as each character experiences his or her share of conflicts. In telling the story of two families, Steinbeck conveys a universal theme: If a person looks at a challenging situation through choices, he or she may resist reacting impulsively and arrive at a wiser conclusion. The reader may often notice this theme’s effect on certain characters in East of Eden. Steinbeck utilizes elements of literary analysis such as point of view, figurative language, and allusion to create meaning for the reader. The variation in perspective of the narrator presents the reader with not only the innermost feelings of the characters, but also the narrator’s opinions; this deviation helps readers understand the situations and form their own opinions. Figurative language embellishes the writing in addition to producing a rhythmic flow for the words. Furthermore, Steinbeck’s clever use of allusion to reinforce the theme may well be applauded; the Bible proves its majesty many times over. Altogether, East of Eden fictitiously illustrates the everlasting conflict of man between good and evil.The point of view in East of Eden shifts from third-
Figurative language in East of Eden produces a cadence to the words, like drums to a guitarist. The metaphors not only bring a rhythmic flow to the language, but they also convey meaning to the reader. For instance, Abra calls Aron’s idealistic vision of a woman a “white ghost” (493). Aron views the world rather unrealistically; as Cal says, he finds it unbearable to witness a sin or an evil, or even hear about it. His fake world results from his inability to, or perhaps more accurately, his intentional desire of not wanting to comprehend human nature. He refuses to believe anything bad about anyone, especially his mother. This problem causes much distress to him, but he still avoids seeking a solution. He might have laid out his choices: either he could accept the real world and learn to live in it or he could hide from the realities of life. Unfortunately, he acts hastily, and without thinking, chooses the latter. His weakness takes him to such an extent that when he finally finds out the reality about his mother, he loses all interest in life, enlists in the army, and dies soon, most probably with intent. Not for one moment does he examine his problem or try to change himself. Overall, Aron exemplifies the fate of one who acts solely on impulses and does not take a step back to scrutinize a situation for wiser and more sensible possibilities.
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Approximate Word count = 1087
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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