East of Eden Thematic Paper September 15, 2012 English 10 – Atkins ThroughoutEast of Eden,John Steinbeck displays the concept of good and evil in the characters’ relationships with one another, as well as in the comprehension of themselves. Through this assessment of both self and others, the notion of authentic monsters appears consistently through the chapters, demonstrated primarily by the most single-minded people, specifically Aron, Will, and Cathy. However, juxtapose to these characters, Lee and Samuel express a new depth in philosophy, presenting the attitude “thou mayest,” which alters the view of good versus evil(Steinbeck 301). Through the concept oftimshel, Steinbeck exemplifies the ability in creating one’s own future through a series of choices; however, one may only be deemed human if they recognize this potential in determining fate with the help of their family. During the study of the Biblical story ofCain and Abel, Lee discovers the word “timshel” with the aid of his heritage, the use of both American and Chinese cultures(Steinbeck 301). After finding the new word, he begins a prolonged investigation to ascertain the definition, in order to fully comprehend the tale. With rigorous research, Lee determines the meaning to be “thou mayest,” however through interpretation he realizes “thou mayest…[or] thou mayest not” (Steinbeck 301).
