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East of Eden | Introduction

East of Eden (1952, New York) by John Steinbeck tells the stories of three generations of the Trask and Hamilton families. It is mostly set in the Salinas Valley in California and spans a period of nearly sixty years, from about 1860 to 1918. The novel focuses on the theme of good against evil and makes prominent use of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, in which Cain murders his brother out of jealousy after God rejects his gift but accepts Abel’s. In the novel, Steinbeck ascribes great significance to his translation of the Hebrew word timshel (“thou mayest”) in the Cain and Abel story. He believes it demonstrates that humans have free will and can triumph over sin if they choose to do so.

Reviewers were quick to point out the flaws in structure and theme in this long novel, and later critics have in general not regarded it as the equal of Steinbeck’s finest works. However, the story of the Trask family is a powerful, if melodramatic one, and the Hamilton chapters show Steinbeck’s ability to create living characters and set them in motion is undiminished. The selection of East of Eden by Oprah Winfrey for her book club (2003) revived reader interest in this serious but entertaining novel that endeavors to lift up the human spirit in the face of everything that would destroy it. As a result of Oprah’s selection, this book was reissued in a 2003 edition by Penguin publications.

East of Eden Summary

Part 1
East of Eden begins with the narrator’s description of the Salinas Valley in California, where the story unfolds. The next chapter introduces the Hamilton family, beginning with the narrator’s grandfather Samuel Hamilton, who during the 1860s came to California from Ireland with his wife Liza.

The focus then switches to the Trask family, living on a farm in Connecticut. Cyrus Trask is a Civil War veteran who becomes a powerful man in the War Department in Washington, D.C. Trask has two sons, Adam and Charles. During their boyhood, Cyrus rejects a birthday present from Charles but accepts the present given by Adam. This angers Charles, and he beats Adam severely. Cyrus forces Adam to join the army.

The narrative then switches to the Hamilton family, which is thriving, even though Samuel never makes much money. Samuel’s four sons, George, Will, Tom, and Joe, are born. The narrative then returns to the Trasks. Charles is lonely by himself on the farm, but when Adam is discharged from the army in 1885 he immediately reenlists instead of returning home. He also visits his father in Washington, D.C. After Adam is discharged a second time in 1890, he drifts through the South and is arrested in Florida for vagrancy and put on a road gang. He escapes from the road gang and reaches Georgia, where he steals some clothes and wires his brother to send money so he can return home. Adam returns to the farm to find that his father is dead and has left his sons a large inheritance.

Cathy Ames is then introduced into the story. The narrator refers to her as a monster. As a teenager she murders her parents and becomes a prostitute. Her pimp, Edwards, falls in love with her, but then nearly beats her to death when he finds out she murdered her parents. She crawls to the Trask farm, where Charles and Adam take her in, although Charles is reluctant to do so. Adam falls in love with Cathy and marries her. She betrays him by drugging his drink and sleeping with Charles.

Part 2
It is now the year 1900. Adam moves to California with his new wife, who is pregnant. He buys a farm and is full of plans to develop it into another Eden. He asks Samuel Hamilton to drill a well for him, and Samuel becomes acquainted with Adam’s Chinese servant, Lee. He also has an intuition about Cathy’s evil nature. Cathy,... » Complete East of Eden Summary