Chelsea Maxwell Mrs. Feldkamp 11 AP English 9 January 2017 Evil in Eden Many times in life, people are quick to jump to conclusions about others and label them as being good or bad, without a second thought. But, a person’s nature is much more complex than a judgement based upon first impressions. For one to know a person’s true nature, it’s important to regard their life as a whole - not one decision - and to look at them in comparison to another. Because, although each person is unique and cannot be exactly compared to another, society uses a specific set of words to sum up the essence of who a person is. But, these words themselves are socially constructed: society defines good as being innocent, remorseful, compassionate, and kind. On the other hand: society defines bad as being rude, remorseless, uncaring, and untrustworthy. However, in his novelEast of Eden, John Steinbeck explores the contrast between those who are inherently evil and those who seem to be born “good”, and how those two can ultimately balance each other out. In order to draw a contrast between the forces of good and evil, Steinbeck relies heavily on biblical allusions. Perhaps the most obvious biblical allusion present in this novel is seen in the title,East of Eden. It is quite commonly known that the Garden of Eden is referred to as the birthplace of evil for Christians. It is told that in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were placed, as pure as can be, until a serpent convinced Eve to eat from the tree God forbid her to eat from. It was at this moment that man and woman were separated from God and came to know good and evil for themselves. It is significant that Steinbeck titled his novel East of Eden, as it alludes -
