East of Eden †Anger and Rejection Essay

Rejection and its resultant fury are devil pillars around which east close to of Edens plot is built. The story is heavily setd by these ii principles, and they constitute the vast majority of thematic and pivotal plot points in the novel. The everyplacearching theme is illustrated in its majority through Steinbecks repeated instances of rejection and anger. Steinbeck illustrates these emotions most clearly in the characters of Charles, Cathy, and Caleb. Their characters are wildly different, but their emotions and reactions are outstandingly alike. Charles is the first personification of Cain in the novel, a complete foil to his chum salmon hug drug, and unsurprisingly susceptible to craze. The first and most blatant illustration of Charless rage is seen in his reaction to losing at peewee to Adam, swinging at his head and knock him out, then kicking him heavily in the stomach. (Steinbeck p. 23). With the rejection of his idea of his inherent superiority, Charles reacted with savage brutality.This digit repeats itself deepr when Charles reacts to Cyruss preference of Adams gift over his hold, accusing Adam of trying to take his father forth from him. He reacts with spontaneous vehemence once more, leaving Adam feeling punches on temples, cheeks, eyes, his lip split and tatter over his teeth. (p. 30). Charles once again illustrates his arctic and distant personality, reacting violently to state of ward Adam out of jealousy of his fathers love. Charless jealousy continues beyond childhood, and chastised his brother upon returning home from war as well. However, despite his incredible inclination for anger, he was still up to(p) to recognize the greater evil in Cathy. Cathy is undeniably the angriest character in the novel. She reacts violently and without remorse toward all those in her way. She is rarely faced with rejection, but, regardless, is nigh always angry. However, when she does face the incredible rarity of rejection, her pettishnes s reaches unprecedented levels.Cathy grows a vehement disrespect for her parents at a young age, and early decorous in her life takes action by editing them alive and faking her own death in order to rid herself of the burden that was her family. The owners house was burned and the owner ostensibly burned with it. (p. 86). This inherent fury persists just as powerfully throughout the rest of her life. When Adam confronts her in her whorehouse, and refuses to allow himself to be tempted and charmed by her, she explodes in rage at her failure at manipulation. She shrieks at her bodyguard, Ralph, I said give him the boots. notice his face (p. 323). Facing the painful rejection of her reality of being capable of manipulating anyone and everyone, she defaults to violence as a means of loll aroundting what she wants out of Adam. This rejection of her ability to influence occurs again later, in her meeting with Cal. Cal confidently says to her, Im my own. I dont have to be you. (p. 462 ).Shocked and in iniquity of his insolence, as well as his resistance to her evils, she bellows at him to get out of her room and out of her whorehouse. She feels rage once again, but this period she also feels a new emotion fear. Where before there was exactly despite for kind-heartedity there is now envy. Cal had broken the very base upon which she based her life and her entire philosophy, and naturally, she felt nothing but contempt for her son. The theme of rejection and anger comes full circle with Cal himself. Cal is not alone in his manifestation of the biblical Cain, but he is certainly the most maneuver recreation. As a result, his anger at his brother and from the rejection at the hand of his Father is a truly deep and painful wound. Cal expresses his anger in a much more decisive and contained fashion than the more chaotic beings of Charles and Cathy.Cal is first met with rejection in one of his very first appearances of the novel, when he and Adam are introduce d to Abra. Abra looked at Adam and felt the longing and the itching burn in her chest that is the beginning of love. (p. 343). Cal identified this immediately, and took it upon himself to tease her when Adam ran away to fetch the rabbit they killed a as a gift for her. Cal deals with his anger and frustration later in his life by taking walks late at night, and in extreme cases, drinking. Cals greatest and quintessential rejection is at the hands of his father, Adam, when he offers him the money he earned as a gift. Cal doggedly lighted bill after bill until all were burned. (p. 566).Albeit a definitive act of rage, Cals passionate acts of anger are farthermost less cruel-intentioned than those of his uncle and mother. He is a truly kind-hearted person. Rejection and anger are two fundamentally connected themes of East of Eden. The two are inherent components of the fabrication of Cain and Abel, which is itself a massive theme of the novel. It is difficult to read a chapter withou t any of the two emotions being a fundamental component of the narrative. Steinbeck masterfully illustrates the human condition through his ceaseless repetition of these two emotions and the personification so seen in Charles, Cathy, and Caleb.Works CitedSteinbeck, John. East of Eden. New York Penguin, 2002. Print.