To fully appreciate literature, we must look at it from every angle possible. There are many ways to criticize a piece of literature. Each way helps a reader to better understand the work in its own different way. I hope to outline and give examples of the many different ways that the short story The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck can be interpreted.…
PASSAGE: “I have been afraid of putting an air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine’s father over the top of the Standard Oil Sign.” (pg. 1.Barabara Kingsolver)…
Even though it is not stated, these words help to suggest that taylor is looking at the flowers and is thinking of her mom and looking back and is realizing how she had bloomed into a mother and a more independent person. This is also shown when The motif of beans is also used to show Turtle and Taylor's evolving relationship. When Mattie and Taylor are in the backyard with Turtle,Turtle says her first word after Taylor is showing her all the plant seeds , Taylor proudly says “ That’s right, that’s a bean and you’re just about the smartest kid alive’’(131). Up until now, this character has not showed much affection towards Turtle, however, now she is realizing how important it is to interact with her to make her feel special. From this, the reader can infer that that with the help from Mattie, Taylor's connection with Turtle has advanced in many ways. This is also shown when Taylor and Lou Ann are at home together with Turtle, Taylor decided that she wants to celebrate Turtles first words, Taylor thinks to herself “I had originally planned to make navy-bean soup...but by the end of the week she had said so many new words I couldn't have fit them all in Hungarian goulash”(135). Beans represent a new growth,which is important because it shows how many things Turtle has…
Kingsolver uses the past and Tucson, Arizona where her story takes place. The Bean Trees shows a man vs. society conflict as Taylor struggles to deal with life. First, she acquires Turtle from an abusive home then gets stuck with the responsibilities of being a parent.…
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is an optimistic film about a boy becoming a man and trying desperately to earn the love of his father and mother in the troubled times of the Great Depression. Cal, the main character is a troubled teen who lives with his entrepreneur father, and a brother who is following closely in his fathers steps. Cal's mother left him and his brother to become a madam of a whorehouse. The struggle takes place between Cal and his father due to his fathers lack of compassion for his son. The conflict rises further when Cal tries to help his father repay a debt, his father further isolates his son and this turns to violent outbursts. Steinbeck focuses on Cal in order to suggest the theme that without love people become violent and mean.…
Published in September of 1952, East of Eden deplores many religious matters, specifically, the concepts of sibling rivalry and the age old battle between good and evil. In the biblical Book of "Genesis," the brothers Cain and Abel offer God "the father" a sacrifice. God favors the shepherd Abel's sacrifice of his best lamb over the farmer Cain's grain. Subsequently, in a jealous rage, Cain kills his brother Abel, only to be marked by God and banished to wander the earth. Stanford dropout, John Steinbeck applies the story of Genesis heavily in East of Eden; the concepts of this biblical allusion are evident in both generations of brothers.…
John Steinbeck is considered to be one of the most talented American writers of all time. Most of his works are regarded highly by critics and celebrated as magnificent forms of twentieth-century literature. Steinbeck’s style remains consistent throughout many of his works; he almost always incorporates the Bible. There are few better examples of Steinbeck’s style than East of Eden. Throughout Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden, he exercises the use of many biblical references to illustrate clearly his views pertaining to the conflict of good and evil.…
In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the biblical stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel are represented through the life of Adam Trask. Through mistakes and success, every character, no matter how minor or major, has something to give to readers to remember. Throughout East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the protagonist Adam Trask demonstrates several morals and life lessons. From watching Adam from the start to the end of the book, there are countless themes to learn. Adam’s many mistakes throughout his life show readers the consequences of what can happen if they do the same.…
evil is not only shown in East of Eden, or in all literature for that matter, but it is also a theme in life. Toni Morrison, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, suggested this about goodness, “an act of selflessness that can be taught and learned; as narcissism driven by a desire to think well of oneself; and as an inherent, embedded gene. No discussion of goodness is complete, she added, without a consideration of evil” (The Harvard Crimson). Morrison also goes onto to talk about an interesting school shooting that took place in an Amish community where the community forgave the shooter and wanted the best for him. This in an interesting parallel to Lee in East of Eden. Lee realized that Cathy was born pure evil, it is in her DNA and she has no desire for goodness. Where Cal’s concerned, Lee can see that has has the desire for goodness and because of this he should be forgiven and helped. Lee sees both evil and good struggling to escape in Cal, but gives him the guidance he needs to let goodness…
In today's world good and evil coexist, often in one entity. The choices that humans make determine whether or not the world should consider that person good or evil. Many people make bad decisions in order to achieve a good outcome. However, most struggle with the choice of what to do. Central to John Steinbeck's East of Eden the theme of good vs. evil shows through the description of landscape, Samuel Hamilton, who represents supreme goodness, and Cathy Ames Trask, the most evil character in the novel.…
John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden focuses on the recurring battle between good and evil in the Salinas Valley, a fertile valley in central California. The novel documents the lives of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons. Throughout the novel these families illustrate aspects of morality and immorality. Additionally the families and their stories consist of Steinbeck’s own life experiences. Steinbeck incorporates his beliefs and influential figures from his life into his writing.…
An author writes to be heard. Their communication is purposeful, and an author who is truly in touch with the art of fiction evokes emotions in the reader throughout their work. These moods, or tones, are not used simply for the sake of being used, but rather in the hopes of moving the reader to think and realize essential messages about life. In the case of John Steinbeck, the tones of his short novel Of Mice and Men can be said to be a triumphant hope accompanying dreams, along with a terrifying hesitancy and fear of obstacles and defeat. The reluctance to fail becomes evident from the start of the story, and endures as the piece develops. On occasion, the elation of conquest and success interrupts the more uneasy and dark tones of the piece, but as quickly as it appeared, the joy is replaced with setbacks and disappointment. Steinbeck’s use of drastic changes in mood is meant to reflect the unpredictable and unmanageable nature of life, revealing there to be different dimensions to it. That is his purpose.…
James Bryce once said, “The worth of a book is to be measured by what you carry away from it.” Any good piece of literature should both challenge and enrich you, and John Steinbeck’s East of Eden is no exception. More than a mundane reiteration of a biblical tale, East of Eden explores the enduring issue of man’s battle with sin. Steinbeck wove the story of Cain and Abel into the fabric of the Salinas Valley, giving it fresh perspective and proving the battle between good and evil remains relevant today. While reading the novel, I had to juggle several different story lines following the Trask and Hamilton families, as well as connect and relate to those of individual characters. The complex characters and plot, while difficult to fully understand, prompted me to immerse myself in the story. Despite the challenges East of Eden presented, Steinbeck’s use of unexpected characterization, evocative imagery, and powerful allegory required me to rethink previous ideas and gave me insight into human nature.…
“Language is the expression of self, but language is also the instrument by which to know that self” ( ) states Donald Hall in “An Ethic of Clarity.” Based on a writer’s style, a reader can determine how he or she is supposed to feel about the subject. A story starts with the basic elements like syntax and tone, and then is enhanced by figurative language, diction, and treatment of subject matter. Author’s use different combinations while composing to establish an original and unique style. Wendell Berry’s style in “Back to the Land” is composed of many different elements such as mostly long and involved sentences, repetition of the main idea, and two different tones when regarding to industrialism and agrarianism.…
Throughout the novel “The Grapes of Wrath” Steinbeck uses a variety of rhetorical strategies such as symbolism, diction and personification to intrigue the reader. He also use’s a number of rhetorical modes such as ethos, pathos and logos. For example in chapter 12 he uses diction to convey his purpose and in chapter 11 he uses descriptive language and personification to establish a sense of loss, while in chapter 9 he appeals to pathos.…