Love and Hate as a Major Theme 

Love and hate is a concept seen throughout sections of part one of the novel, East of Eden. Understanding the concept of love and hate can be confusing at time because one cannot tell them apart from time to time. At the bottom of page 20 Steinbeck allows Charles to open up about how much he cares for his brother - like a "blind puppy". It leaves the reader to wonder how is it that one could care for a blind puppy and beat it so badly that it has to stay in one place for more than a day. The concepts fight to stand out but end up canceling each other out. There are times when each concept stood by itself - "He developed a love for poor people he could not have conceived if he had not been poor himself." (referring to Adam Pg. 57)

E.O.E Part 1 

Steinbeck presents storytelling as a major part of the lives of the people in the Salinas Valley. Storytelling is what brings the people of the community and family members together. It also presents a common pastime within families. Samuel Hamilton and Cyrus Trask are the two big storytellers in the Valley. A though they are both good storytellers the effects and the purpose of their stories are different. While Samuel tells stories for entertainment and joy Cyrus tells stories to make himself look good (Pg. 10). Cyrus is the type of person that makes people want to present themselves in a more positive light and that is what his stories do as well. Cyrus's stories on the other hand misleads people into thinking that he is a great war hero and that he has done many amazing things in his career as a military man (Pg.17). Steinbeck is a fictional storyteller. He tells stories of happenings in his life and things he has observed around him. His stories demonstrate these things but in such an order that it seems fictional.

E.O.E Part 1

Samuel Hamilton is an upstanding citizen. He is they type of person that everyone admires - a great roll model to a certain extent. Samuel was a man of great moral and as an result anyone in his presence felt a need to be better. He created such an positive impression that even the most vulgar persons would silence their profanity; even if it was just for the time they were spending on his farm. He was a hardworking man with the ability to create wonderful things with his hands - "his hands were clever." (Pg. 8) Samuel was not one to prosper in the world of business, but his willingness to strive helped to uplift his family. While Samuel was scrupulously honest Cyrus Trask was not. Cyrus Trask, a former military man found a way to make himself well known and more liked. He lied to his family about the battles among other things he did while in the war. While the Hamilton family has their issues - no one family is perfect - their glue was love and honesty. Their glue was based upon moral standards while the Trask family was built upon lies told by Cyrus. 

The Beginning to a New Project

Everyday something new happens - phenomenons that may or may not be explainable - but along with that comes great learning opportunities that must not be taken for granted.