Noely Franco Professor Martin First Year Seminar November 2018 Cain and Abel/East of Eden Comparison Essay Killing one’s sibling is something that many of us have likely considered after a heated argument with a brother or sister. Although, after mindful reasoning occurs, we tend to shudder at the idea. This is not always the case, however. In many works of literature, we see how sibling rivalry can completely change a person’s life. In the Bible, we see stories where such competitiveness has driven people to do very extreme things. We see this in other pieces of literature as well. The story of Cain is Abel is one that that shows how feelings of envy and disdain caused by sibling rivalry can cause serious repercussions. This theme of competitiveness between family members is also seen in John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden, where children of the Trask family change the course of their lives with this feuding. Anger can cause people to act out in erratic ways, and these actions are some that can alter one’s existence forever. The story of Eve’s children, Cain and Abel, is one that shows how irrational siblings can make one another. The conflict begins after the brothers offer sacrifices in order to illustrate to the Lord how sorry they are for committing sins. Abel was a shepherd, and decided to offer God the best lamb of his flock. Cain, one the other hand, was a farmer and he offers the Lord a basket full of the fresh fruit he grows. When placed on the altar, Abel’s lamb caught on fire and burned lively. Cain’s sacrifice unfortunately, hardly lit on fire. This showed that God exhibited great respect for Abel’s gift of blood but not for Cain’s gift of fruit. This angers Cain, as he felt his sacrifice was worthy enough. He then began to feel upset at the fact that his brother’s gift was
