Favorite quotes from East of Eden

This book is full of pithy quotations.  Choose a favorite memorable line or more and post it in the comments.

Further thoughts on allusions

I was just rereading the Genesis post from a few days ago and it got me to thinking about Biblical allusions.  Probably the most common Biblical allusions in literature are to Christ.  Is there a Christ figure in this book?  If so, in what way does the character resemble Christ? 

If not, what kind of hero does Steinbeck give us and why do you suppose Steinbeck might have stayed away from that particular allusion?

I know that some of you have more of a Biblical background than others, so if you see any other Biblical allusions, please share them with the rest of us.  Allusions might be direct references to Biblical things such as Methusela (p 52) or just commonalities between the characters, events, and settings of the two texts.  What purpose does it serve to include these things in the book?  How does it add to the overall experience and meaning of the book?

And of course, the Bible isn't the only thing an author might allude to.  Did anyone notice the mention of Othello's handkerchief (169)?   Or Hercules (197)?  Why do you think these were included? What do they contribute to your understanding of the book?

I'm sure there are more allusions--What can you find?

Just to be totally clear, this is not one of those times when the teacher has an answer that you're supposed to find.  I don't have an answer-- I have lots of questions.  I'd like us to read, research, and discuss together.  I'm excited to hear what you find!

Genesis 4: 1-16 King James Version

Genesis 4

 ¹And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
 ²And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
 ³And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
 ⁴And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
 ⁵But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
 ⁶And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
 ⁷If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
 ⁸And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
 ⁹And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
 ¹⁰And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
 ¹¹And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
 ¹²When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
 ¹³And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
 ¹⁴Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
 ¹⁵And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
 ¹⁶And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Steinbeck in the news

For those of you who are interested, this was in yesterday's paper.
SF Chronicle article about Steinbeck auction

Hi 2010-2011 Honors Students!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Alise, and I'm currently a Senior at UCSC, where I am pursuing a degree in English Literature. Last semester, I volunteered in Ms. Ohana's classroom, and I am looking forward to popping into your class next year from time to time.

I have never read East of Eden, and I'm so excited to start it. Everyone I've spoken with has said they loved the book. What do you guys think so far?

Do my passage responses need to be typed?

Question: Do the passage responses need to be typed?
Answer: If at all possible, yes.  All written work for this class should be typed unless otherwise indicated.  Formatting should be done according to MLA format (guidelines can be found on link provided under "writing tools"- 12 pt, times new roman, double space).  That said, just because you're spending the summer in some remote location without computer access, does not excuse you from doing the work.  If you do not have the ability to type, work should be nicely handwritten, error free, and obviously in final draft form in all other respects.

Steinbeck's son on what his father said about writing

I thought you might find this interesting.
"My father told us all the time, to become a good writer takes writing. Because the more you do it, the better you get at it. It's like bull-riding. You can't do it once, you know. You've got to practice it and practice it. So everything he wrote he thought was practice for the next one.

My father thought the most important thing of the writer to be was invisible. The book should stand out. He didn't like notoriety. He hated it. He thought, 'I've written the book. That should be enough. Leave me alone.'

His vision of what his job was, was just to do his job, and that was enough. And he felt his job was writing. But it was a job. It was his contribution to the human community. And he didn't believe he deserved any greater reward for what he did than anybody else deserved for what they did. ... My father thought of himself as a tradesman. A craftsman."

Thom Steinbeck is also a published writer.

Steinbeck sites

If you find any great sites with info about Steinbeck, post the link in the comments.
Thank you

Steinbeck House

If you go to the Steinbeck Center, you can have lunch at his house!
http://www.steinbeckhouse.com/
Let us know if you go.  Would you recommend it?