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Good And Evil In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

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John Steinbeck’s East of Eden examines the lives and tribulations of several interconnected individuals over the course of decades, while concurrently examining several conflicting ideologies that have plagued mankind, such as free will versus determinism and good versus evil. East of Eden concludes with possibly the most important word in the entire book: timshel. Despite the copious amount of pages that were devoted to debate of the true meaning of timshel, the word still possesses a rather ambiguous definition as it can be translated as thou shalt, thou must, or thou mayest. While, at first glance, these definitions seem similar enough to be used interchangeably, the definition the reader chooses to accept will greatly influence their interpretation …show more content…
While this ambiguity may seem unsatisfactory, it does effectively conclude the book as it provides not the answer, but the means of obtaining an answer to whether good can overcome evil.
The struggle between good and evil is initially observed in two brothers, Charles and Adam, whose hostile relationship mirrors that of the biblical siblings Cain and Abel. As the novel progresses and the more about the characters is revealed,even more instances of the good versus evil clash emerge. This is best exemplified by Cal Trask, who, throughout the book, is caught in a constant battle between good and evil. Although Cal possesses a certain level of cruelty that contrasts heavily with his brother's innocence, his desire to be liberated from what Cal sees as inherited evil demonstrates his …show more content…
Furthermore, partly due to its near infinite applications, the word timshel effectively concludes the novel despite ending on a cliffhanger. By ending the book with a choice, Steinbeck not only reinforces the concept of free will, but also provides an answer to the good versus evil question. Granted, the answer that Steinbeck provides is not a definitive “yes” or “no” response, instead he provides an even better response, an option. This is particularly significant since it, in a way, empowers people and gives them hope to turn their lives around when they feel entrapped by a seemingly hopeless situation. Once the facade is pried off, the true message hidden in the conclusion becomes clear: no situation, however hopeless or desperate, is ever beyond the control of an individual; no one’s life is set in stone at birth because all people have free will and thus full control over their own lives.
Finally, despite the lack of a clear-cut winner in the good versus evil clash, the conclusion does indeed effectively conclude the novel as it provides empowerment to the reader by giving them a choice. Through the use of biblical allusions, Steinbeck was able to craft an conclusion that resonates with many people, while at the same time providing answers to an age old

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