Good and Evil in Ease of Eden
Have Some of My Good and Plenty, it does Evil Things to your Waistline! ... This to, is the rule for good and evil. Good and evil are interrelated, as expressed in the novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck, or at least more interrelated than one might expect. "We all have the potential for good and evil, but being evil is a choice," states Lee, a servant who acts like the philosopher in the novel and who, perhaps expresses Steinbecks views on the subject. Steinbeck also went as far to say that, "They [good and evil] might be so balanced that if a man went too far either way, an automatic slide would restore the balance. ... However Steinbeck also uses symbolism, the theory that evil can be the root of good, and differences between good and evil to demonstrate his supposition. ... The most prominent symbols of good and evil are the actual characters in the novel. Right from the beginning of the stroy Steinbeck makes it obvious that each character is either good or evil. He eventually wants to prove that being evil or good is a choice. ... Each represent the epitome of good or evil. ... Charles Trask represents evil only when compared to none other than Adam. However, as everything is arbitrary, Charles looks almost as good as Adam when compared to Cathy. ... Cathy is not possessed of attributes one would identify as good. A final symbolism of good and evil described by Steinbeck to be within the Salinas Valley is the relationship of the brothel and the church.