East Of Eden Part 3

Questions and Answers

1. In Part Three, six characters die or their deaths are described—Una, Samuel, Charles, Lee's mother, Dessie and Tom. How does the omnipresence of death change the mood and atmosphere of the novel?

The deaths present in part three of East of Eden, gives the novel a gloomy ambiance. It however causes significant changes in the lives of characters, making the plot to head in an uplifting direction. Although death is seen as tragic and unprofitable, in the novel, death is used as a means to create auspicious outcomes. That being said, death teaches characters; it gives them a type of lesson in which they are to improve their lives on. Take for instance the effect Samuel's death had on Adam. "Samuel's funeral...should have made Adam sad and bitter...He felt young and free..." (E.O.E 327). Here, freedom- that which gives us the power to do the things we wish to do,  is revealed as a residue of death. In this case, the atmosphere of part three becomes a hopeful place.

2. How are the twins, Cal and Aron, different? Look at the paragraph near the end of Chapter 27, where the difference in the two boys is described by their supposed responses to an anthill. How do Cal's actions accord with that description?

Cal sees the need to go against norms- he pries on changing things. Aron however is content with the way things have been set. He in fact refuses to change the order of things he has become familiar with. Prior to the paragraph on the anthill, Cal is portrayed as a destructive person, while Aron is portrayed as a conformist and is therefore capable of fitting in better compared to Cal. Because Cal is more of a person that seeks answers, he never rests until he has gotten all what he needs. Take for instance Cal's refusal to accept that his mother died, "She ran away...I heard some men talking...I'm going to run away and find her..."(E.O.E. 338).

3. What do you suppose Charles' motives were in equally dividing his inheritance between Adam and Cathy?

When an individual dies, it is normal for him to pass down his property to his relations. It seems like Charles did just that after dying. Because he slept with Cathy, we can presume that he believes the twins Cal and Aron, are his sons. Therefore, by passing down his inheritance to Adam, he somehow does the same to his children. Charles might have also passed down his inheritance based on the love he had for his brother. Despite the way Charles treated Adam, Adam still loved him and Charles must have known this, "I always loved you because you were my brother" (E.O.E 362).