Editing East of Eden (novel) (section)

==Major themes==
The book explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, the struggle for acceptance and greatness, the capacity for self-destruction, and of [[guilt (emotion)|guilt]] and [[free will|freedom]]. It ties these themes together with references to and many parallels with the biblical [[Book of Genesis]]<ref>{{cite journal|first=Eva|last=Králová|title=Inseparability of good and evil as a challenge in Steinbeck's ''East of Eden''|journal=University Review|volume=7|issue=2|date=2013|pages=51–57|url=https://ur.tnuni.sk/fileadmin/dokumenty/UR_V7_ISS2_51to57.pdf|issn=1339-5017|archive-date=2023-12-27|access-date=2023-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227104029/https://ur.tnuni.sk/fileadmin/dokumenty/UR_V7_ISS2_51to57.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> (especially <!-- or ''exclusively'' ? --> Genesis Chapter 4, the [[Cain and Abel|story of Cain and Abel]]).<ref>{{cite thesis|first=David Stewart|last=McCright|title=''East of Eden'': Steinbeck's proclamation of human greatness|type=MA thesis|publisher=[[Iowa State University]]|location=Ames, Iowa|date=1990|url=https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/80716|doi=10.31274/rtd-180813-5579|hdl=20.500.12876/80716|doi-access=free|archive-date=2023-03-24|access-date=2023-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324035021/https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/80716/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Steinbeck's inspiration for the novel comes from the fourth chapter of Genesis, verses one through sixteen, which recounts the story of [[Cain]] and [[Abel]]. Steinbeck took the title, ''East of Eden,'' from Genesis, Chapter 4, verse 16: "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the [[Land of Nod]], on the east of [[Garden of Eden|Eden]]" ([[King James Version]]).<ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Steinbeck|author-link=John Steinbeck|title=Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck|url=https://archive.org/details/journalofnovele00stei|url-access=registration|publisher=[[Viking Press]]|location=New York City|date=1969|isbn=978-0140144185}}</ref>

Other biblical parallels in the novel include:
{| class="wikitable"
! width="33%" | Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel
! width="33%" | ''East of Eden'', Charles and Adam
! width="33%" | ''East of Eden'', Caleb and Aron
|-
| Cain is a "tiller of the ground"; Abel is a "keeper of sheep" (Gen. 4:2, [[King James Version|KJV]]).
| Charles is a farmer who works diligently even after he inherits considerable wealth from his father, Cyrus.
| Caleb invests in bean crops.  Aron studies to become a priest (who are [[Shepherd#Religion|commonly compared with shepherds]]).
|-
| God rejects Cain's gift of crops in favor of Abel's lamb (Gen. 4:3, KJV).
| Cyrus prefers the gift from his son Adam (a stray puppy he found) over the gift from his other son Charles (a hard-earned expensive knife).
| Adam rejects his son Cal's money and would rather he led a good life like Aron.
|-
| After rejection from God, Cain kills Abel (Gen. 4:8, KJV).
| After being rejected by their father, Charles attacks Adam and beats him nearly to death. Charles then goes to fetch a hatchet, presumably to murder Adam, but the latter manages to escape.
| After Adam rejects Caleb's money, Caleb informs Aron of their mother's brothel. Aron, distraught, enlists in the war and is killed in combat.
|-
| God put a [[Curse and mark of Cain|mark on Cain]] to deter others from killing him (Gen. 4:15, KJV).
| Charles receives a dark scar on his forehead while trying to move a boulder from his fields.
| Caleb is described as having a more dark and sinister appearance than Aron.  Also noteworthy is the fact that Adam tells Caleb, ''timshel'', meaning "thou mayest." This implies Caleb may overcome his evil nature because of the "mark" put upon him by God. In begging his forgiveness of his son, Lee also tells Adam "Your son is ''marked'' with guilt."
|-
|Cain is the only one with progeny.
|Adam has two children, but in the novel it's stated that the children may be Charles'. 
|Aron dies in the war, and Caleb is the only one able to carry on and have children.
|}

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In the novel, Adam, Samuel, and Lee have a significant conversation in which they realize that since Abel died before he had children, they themselves are the descendants of Cain.  This is because Noah was descended from Seth.  It is unclear, however, whether Noah's wife (or his sons' wives) were descended from Seth, Cain, or other of Adam and Eve's children.

=== ''Timshel'' ===
''Timshel'' is a major theme in the novel. However, there is no word ''timshel'' in Hebrew; Genesis 4:7 reads ''timshol'' ({{Script/Hebrew|תמשל}}) , the second person singular masculine future indicative form of the verb ''moshel'' 'to rule', thus 'you shall/will rule'.<ref>{{cite book|first=Henri|last=Meschonnic|title=Ethics and Politics of Translating|url=https://archive.org/details/ethicspoliticstr00mesc_109|url-access=limited|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|date=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/ethicspoliticstr00mesc_109/page/n159 154]|isbn=978-90-272-2439-2}}</ref> In the novel itself, the character Lee explains the meaning of ''timshel'' as "Thou mayest."<ref>Steinbeck, John. ''East of Eden.'' p. 302. The Viking Press. {{ISBN|9780140186390}}.</ref>

Daniel Levin explores the nuances of Steinbeck's use of the Hebrew word, investigating potential reasons for and implications of Steinbeck's error in translation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Levin|first=Daniel|date=2015|title=John Steinbeck and the Missing ''Kamatz'' in ''East of Eden'': How Steinbeck Found a Hebrew Word but Muddled Some Vowels|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|journal=The Steinbeck Review|volume=12|issue=2|pages=190–198|doi=10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|jstor=10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|s2cid=147212744|issn=1546-007X|archive-date=2021-08-22|access-date=2021-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822222152/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/steinbeckreview.12.2.0190|url-status=live}}</ref>