John Steinbecks East of Eden - Confused Notions of Good and Evil :: East Eden Essays

Confused Notions of Good and Evil in East of Eden East of Eden is an epic novel about individual ethics - whether men and women have the power to choose between good and evil. East of Eden, to be polite, it is not Steinbeck's best novel. Not by a long shot. Steinbeck had wrestled with a moral question and lost. It was as though he had been thinking about life, but not too deeply. "East of Eden" was a third-rate best seller, the story of two American families over three generations, seven decades from the Civil War to World War I, told in a book that confuses us with contradictions, that lacks fictional concentration and that wanders in and around too many themes. Clifton Fadiman once said it was wrong to describe Steinbeck as a hard boiled writer. Well, if a comparison with eggs is necessary, "East of Eden" is an overdone omelet. Steinbeck himself worried about its weaknesses. In a letter to his editor, he said, "It's kind of a sloppy sounding book, but it's not sloppy, really." Well, it was sloppy. Begging the forgiveness of the people who gave Steinbeck the Pulitizer and the Nobel Prizes for Literature, there are portions of "East of Eden" that sound like something out of Freshman Composition I. Some of the syntax seems like scrambled eggs: - "All around the main subject the brothers beat." - "The wrinkles around them (his eyes) were drawn in radial lines inward by laughter." - "In human affairs of danger and delicate success, conclusion is sharply limited by hurry." All of which sounds a bit like Charlie Chan explaining life to No. 1 son. Steinbeck's "East of Eden" now has been adapted for television by ABC, an eight-hour presentation beginning tonight (Channel 5, 8 to 11), tomorrow (9 to 11) and Wednesday (8 to 11). This is no cheapie. Ten years in the making, "East of Eden" was shot on location at a cost of $11.2 million, with Savannah, Ga. standing in for Connecticut scenes and Salinas, Cal. for itself. ABC boasts in a press release that the 1955 film starring James Dean covered only a small portion of "East of Eden," while the 1981 film attempts to depict the entire novel. Ironically, by the way, today (Sunday) is the 50th anniversary of Dean's birth.

Mordernism

Modernism During the 20th century a communications revolution that introduced motion pictures, radio, and television brought the world into view†and eventually into the living room. The new forms of communication competed with books as sources of amusement and enlightenment. New forms of communication and new modes of transportation made American society increasingly mobile and familiar with many more regions of the country. Literary voices from even the remotest corners could reach a national audience.At the same time, American writers†particularly writers of fiction†began to influence world literature. The 20th century saw the emergence of modernism. Modernism responded to the world's complexity by asserting that the individual had the potential to achieve a broader perspective than that offered by any one society or its history. Although realism, naturalism, and regionalism were still viable modes of expression, they reflected the increasingly complex reality of 20th- century society. Immigration and industrialization led to increasing urbanization, nd, in turn, to class stratification.Theme: Some writers examined the sometimes complex psychology of America's elite, other writers turned to the psychological and physical reality of the laboring classes, whose ranks continued to swell with high rates of immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several American authors who are sometimes known as social realists looked at working conditions, often for the purpose of social reform. A period of disillusion and cynicism that followed World War I (1914-1918) found expression in he writings of a group of Americans living in Paris who became known as the Lost Generation.They shared a bitterness about the war, a sense of rootlessness, and dissatisfaction with American society. They portrayed the emotional exhaustion of this generation and their seemingly vain search for meaning and value in life. Some other writers focus on the overwhelm ing forces of nature and on issues of class. Gender issues remain major topics in 21st century American literature, and more gay and lesbian authors are publishing their work and bringing their community and oncerns into focus. Characteristics 1.Diversity The reading audience of the United States changed as social and economic realities changed. Immigrant populations added great variety to 20th-century American fiction. American literature at the is exceptionally diverse, with rapidly growing multicultural influences. New voices continue to emerge within the Native American, African American, Asian American, and Hispanic American communities. After the 1960s it became increasingly difficult even to define a mainstream. Jewish-American iterature: among the first to record their experiences.African American literature: focuses on slavery and its legacies while also offering hope, particularly in the strength of bonds among women. Native American literature: reassesses the experience o f their cultures. Hispanic American literature. Asian American authors brought strong voices to American literature after the 1960s. those who bridge two cultures. Modernity and Americanization are typically the realm of youth, while traditional culture and history remain the dying province of their elders.While creating unique worlds for various distinct communities, America's diverse literary voices continue to reflect the unique characteristics of its land, people, and culture. 2. Regionalism The vastness of the United States and the great diversity of its people have always been reflected in its literature. This was especially true in the 20th century, which witnessed the blossoming of strong regional traditions in the West and the South. The South was also rich in women writers during the 20th century. 3. Bilingualism.Many American authors incorporate a lot of their mother tongue language into their writing. This reflects both the alienation and the strong cultural identity tha t comes from being a nonnative English speaker in the United States. 4. style Writing is noted for innovations in narrative style, such as simplification and fragmentation of plot and the use of unconventional syntax and punctuation. Representatives: Henry James Theodore Dreiser Sinclair Lewis Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner,

Unearthing The True Meaning Of Robert Frost s Mending Wall

Unearthing the true meaning of Robert Frost’s Mending Wall requires adherence to the ending adage: â€Å"Never judge a book by its cover.† This mindset prevents the apparent simplicity of the poem from misleading the reader. Considering the speaker’s lack of perception and ironic self-contradiction, the possible underestimation of his neighbor’s reasoning, and the ambiguous attitude Frost himself conveys suggest the audience should conscientiously avoid accepting the poem at face value. Despite the alluring temptation to accept the persona’s apparent hatred of walls, Mending Wall intricately presents two contradicting opinions regarding man’s necessity for barriers. The paradoxical nature of the poem lies in the fact that both view prove true. The neighbor realizes man simply cannot coexist peacefully without the limitations of boundaries regulating interaction. The speaker voices mankind’s inherent detestation of the restraints impose d by walls and the satisfaction derived from their destruction. Frost leaves the argument deliberately unsettled to acknowledge the coexistence of these views. As a result, the juxtaposition creates the ironic disparity between the poem’s apparently straightforward meaning and the subtler understanding that neither view prevails in reality. (Barry, 110). In Mending Wall, rock barricade divides the narrator’s apple orchard from his neighbor’s pinladen property. The majority of the blank verse poem represents the speaker’s internal monologue