Cal And Aron Trask In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden

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In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Steinbeck uses Cal and Aron Trask to represent the biblical story of Cain and Abel, demonstrating a struggle of good and evil through an underlying religious point of view as well as the overlying fictional telling of the same story. Cal’s innate evil nature contrasting Aron’s inherent goodness are evident throughout the novel and portray Steinbeck’s overall theme of a constant conflict between morality and immorality. Throughout the entire novel, Cal believes that he has no choice in his “meanness” because of his mother, Kate, who Cal has determined to be evil just like himself. Cal is described as “slit-eyed” as well as a lone wolf, similar to his corresponding biblical reference in Cain. Cain was

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