East of Eden †Anger and Rejection Essay

Rejection and its resultant anger argon deuce pillars around which East of Edens plot is built. The story is heavily influenced by these 2 principles, and they constitute the vast volume of thematic and opposite plot points in the novel. The overarching theme is illustrated in its majority through Steinbecks repeated instances of rejection and anger. Steinbeck illustrates these emotions most cl wee in the characters of Charles, Cathy, and Caleb. Their characters be wildly different, and their emotions and reactions ar remarkably alike. Charles is the stolon personification of Cain in the novel, a complete foil to his buddy rapture, and unsurprisingly susceptible to force. The first and most blatant illustration of Charless wildness is seen in his reaction to losing at peewee to Adam, swinging at his head and knocking him knocked out(p), 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 pattern repeats itself afterwards when Charles reacts to Cyruss preference of Adams vest over his own, accusing Adam of trying to contact his father away from him. He reacts with spontaneous furiousness formerly to a greater extent, leaving Adam feeling punches on temples, cheeks, eyes, his lip split and tatter over his teeth. (p. 30). Charles once again illustrates his cold and distant personality, reacting violently toward Adam out of jealousy of his fathers love. Charless jealousy continues beyond childhood, and chastised his brother upon returning internal from war as well. However, despite his undreamed tilt for anger, he was still able 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, regard little, is virtually always angry. However, when she does face the incredible rarity of rejectio n, her fury reaches unprecedented levels.Cathy grows a earnest disrespect for her parents at a young age, and early enough in her life takes action by flip ones wiging them alive and faking her own death in order to rid herself of the burden that was her family. The owners house was destroy 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 conquer 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. Break his face (p. 323). liner the painful rejection of her reality of being capable of manipulating anyone and e actuallyone, she defaults to rage as a means of getting what she wants out of Adam. This rejection of her ability to influence occurs again later, in her contact with Cal. Cal confidently says to her, Im my own. I wear downt hav e to be you. (p. 462).Shocked and in horror of his insolence, as well as his rampart to her evils, she bellows at him to get out of her mode and out of her whorehouse. She feels rage once again, but this sequence she also feels a new emotion fear. Where forrader thither was only contempt for humanity there is now envy. Cal had broken the very foundation upon which she establish her life and her entire philosophy, and naturally, she felt nothing but contempt for her son. The theme of rejection and anger comes full circumstances with Cal himself. Cal is not alone in his manifestation of the scriptural Cain, but he is certainly the most bespeak recreation. As a result, his anger at his brother and from the rejection at the hands of his Father is a real 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, wh en he and Adam are introduced 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 loosen her when Adam ran away to fetch the rabbit they killed a as a gift for her. Cal deals with his anger and defeat later in his life by winning 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 preeminence after bill until all were burned. (p. 566).Albeit a definitive act of rage, Cals passionate acts of anger are far 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 chemical elements of the parable of Cain and Abel, which is itself a large theme of the novel. It is diffic ult to read a chapter without every of the two emotions being a fundamental component of the narrative. Steinbeck masterfully illustrates the human condition through his unending repetition of these two emotions and the personification thereof seen in Charles, Cathy, and Caleb.Works CitedSteinbeck, John. East of Eden. New York Penguin, 2002. Print.