This segment is partially inspired by the review of Mumford and Sons and my affinity for their song Timshel. But John Steinbeck is my favorite author of all time, and I really just wanted to take the opportunity to post some of my favorite East of Eden passages so that anyone who hasn't read the book will pick it up immediately and give it a read (it is soooooooooo good). I don't want to even attempt to dissect his work, he is a master as the title says, I just wanted to share it and would love to hear peoples' thoughts.
"... They had a tool or a weapon that is also nearly gone, or perhaps it is only dormant for a while. It is argued that because they believed thoroughly in a just, moral God they could put their faith there and let the smaller securities take care of themselves. But I think that because they trusted themselves and respected themselves as individuals, because they knew beyond doubt that they were valuable and potentially moral units-because of this they could give God their own courage and dignity and then receive it back. Such things have disappeared perhaps because men do not trust themselves any more, and when that happens there is nothing left except perhaps to find some strong sure man, even though he man, even though he may be wrong, and dangle from his coattails." (East of Eden p. 12)
"When a child first catches adults out-when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just-his world falls into panic desolation. THe gods are fallen and all safety gone. And there is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter or sink deeply into green muck. It is a tedious job to build them up again; they never quite shine. And the child's world is never quite whole again. It is an aching kind of growing." (East of Eden, p. 20)
This is probably the most seminal passage from the book in terms of establishing Steinbeck's main point (although the book is filled with countless ideas and philosophies)...
Lee’s hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. “Don’t you see? he cried. “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel-‘Thou mayest’-that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’-it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Do you see? …
…But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he still has the great choice. He can choose his course and fight through and win.” Lee’s voice was a chant of triumph
Pages 301-302
"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it whishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about. I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for that is one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system. Surely I can understand this, and I hat it and I will fight against it to preserve the one thing that separates us from the uncreative beasts. If the glory can be killed, we are lost." (East of Eden, p 131)
This quote comes from one of the most impressive literary scenes that I have ever encountered. The character loathes himself and is contemplating suicide as a result, but he can't just kill himself he has to convict himself first and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is guilty and doesn't deserve to live. . .
"He thought dawdling, protective thoughts, sitting under the lamp, but he knew that pretty soon his name would be called and he would have to go up before the bench with himself as judge and his own crimes as jurors
And his name was called, shrilly in his ears. His mind walked in to face the accusers: Vanity, which charged him with being illd ressed and dirty and vulgar; and Lust, slipping him the money for his whoring; Dishonesty, to make him pretend to talent and thought he did not have; Laziness and Gluttony arm in arm. Tom felt comforted by these because they screened the great Gray One in the back seat, waiting-the gray and dreadful crime. He dredged up lesser things, used small sins almost like virtues to save himself. There were Covetousness of Will's money, Treason toward his mother's God, Theft of time and hope, sick Rejection of love.
Samuel spoke softly but his voice filled the room. "Be good, be pure, be great, be Tom Hamilton.
Tom ignored his father. He said, "I'm busy greeting my friends," and he nodded to Discourtesy and Ugliness and Unfilial Conduct and Unkempt fingernails. Then he started with Vanity again. The Gray One Shouldered up in front. It was too late to stall with baby sins. This Gray One was Murder.
Tom's hand felt the chill of the glass and saw the pearly liquid with the dissolving crystals still turning over the lucent bubbles rising, and he repeated aloud in the empty, empty room, "This will do the job. Just wait till morning. You'll feel fine then." That's how it had sounded, exactly how, and the walls and chairs and the lamp had all heard it and they could prove it. . ." (East of Eden 404-405)
There are so many brilliant passages I have two copies of the book, one read so many times it no longer has a cover, the other i bought as a travel companion precisely because the other now lacks a cover and I didn't want it to fall apart. If you have read the book and have favorite lines or ideas please share them, I love talking about it!!!
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