History Literature / EastOfEden

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Lee speaks perfect Engrish when he's first hired, but that soon is revealed to be a ruse; Lee speaks perfectly good English, but he found it ran so counter to people's preconceptions that the only way he could be accepted in American society was to conform to the stereotype.

* GenerationXerox

* StrangerInAFamiliarLand: Deconstructed. Seeing Lee's struggles in trying to fit in, Sam Hamilton suggests perhaps he might go " back" to China. Lee reminds him that he was born in Grass Valley, CA, grew up in California, and went to University of California, and he DID try going to China, only to find that he fit in less there than he did in the States because things changed so much since his father's time.

* ShoutOut: The title is taken from [[Literature/TheBible The Book of Genesis]]: "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and took up residence in the Land of Nod, east of Eden."

* UncannyValley: In-universe. Even in [[TheSociopath Cathy's]] childhood, other children avoided her because they could tell that there was something just not quite right about her.

* SoullessBedroom: When [[TheSociopath Cathy]] runs away from home, her parents notice that her room has no personal possessions in it, and looks like no one has ever lived there.

* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Cathy spends most of her life thinking of herself as superior to everyone else because she's so much smarter and prettier. After meeting Caleb, she realizes that none of that matters because everyone else around her can do ''something'' that she can't do. She never quite figures out what that thing is, but she still senses that nothing else is worth taking pride in without this one undefinable ability. [[AlasPoorVillain She ends up killing herself because even though she can't figure out what it is she can't do, she still understands that it's the only thing that makes life worth living.]]

* AlliterativeTitle

* SatanicArchetype: Repeated [[SnakesAreSinister serpentine]] imagery is used to describe Cathy, including one instance where "her tongue flicked around her lips, and that the eyes were flat and the mouth with its small up-curve at the corners was carven." In her youth, nearly everyone [[DevilInPlainSight thought something]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing was off about her]] [[BeautyIsBad behind the angelic looks]], and the author even described her as a soulless monster. She manipulates others ForTheEvulz, and has small, stubby feet whose insteps "almost like little hooves."

* EmptyShell: Cathy loves no one, feels nothing for anyone, and has no desires, hobbies, or personal likes or dislikes of her own. Her only definable trait is her willingness to manipulate and hurt anyone in her way, either for personal gain or ForTheEvulz. When she runs away from home as a teenager, her parents note that her room has no personal possessions in it, and looks like no one has lived there. [[spoiler:In her adulthood, she eventually comes to realize that there's ''something'' she doesn't have (i.e. the ability to feel love) that everyone else has, but still isn't able to understand what it is.]]

* SiblingTriangle: [[spoiler:Cathy marries Adam, but sleeps with his brother Charles]]. Later, [[spoiler: Aron's girlfriend Abra transfers her affections to Cal due to her own realizations about Aron's character and how she and Cal are NotSoDifferent]].

* TroubledButCute: Cal is an antisocial loner who believes himself to be the EvilTwin in comparison to his well-behaved brother Aron. Despite his oddness and mean-spirited attitude on occasion, all he wants is love from his father. This is reflected in Abra's attitude towards him; she at first finds him creepy, but then gets to spend time with him and sees he's NotSoDifferent.

* SatanicArchetype: Repeated [[SnakesAreSinister serpentine]] imagery is used to describe Cathy, including one instance where "her tongue flicked around her lips, and that the eyes were flat and the mouth with its small up-curve at the corners was carven." In her youth, nearly everyone [[DevilInPlainSight thought something]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing was off about her]] [[BeautyIsBad behind her angelic looks]], and the author even described her as a soulless monster. She manipulates others ForTheEvulz, and has small, stubby feet whose insteps "almost like little hooves."

* SatanicArchetype: Repeated [[SnakesAreSinister serpentine]] imagery is used to describe Cathy, including one instance where "her tongue flicked around her lips, and that the eyes were flat and the mouth with its small up-curve at the corners was carven." In her youth, nearly everyone (including her parents) [[DevilInPlainSight thought something]] [[BitchInSheepsClothing was off about her]], and the author even described her as a soulless monster. A pathological liar and manipulative woman, she uses [[BeautyIsBad her angelic looks]] to get what she wants, and has small, stubby feet whose insteps "almost like little hooves."

The book was adapted into a [[Film/EastOfEden 1955 film]], directed by Creator/EliaKazan and starring Creator/JamesDean in his breakout role as Cal. The film notably is a very loose adaptation, only covering the last part of the story with Aron and Cal as teenagers; this was approved by John Steinbeck. For tropes exclusive to the film, go [[Film/EastOfEden here]].

* EmptyShell: Cathy loves no one, feels nothing for anyone, and has no desires, hobbies, or personal likes or dislikes of her own, besides her willingness to manipulate and hurt anyone in her way, either for personal gain or ForTheEvulz. When she runs away from home, her parents note that her room has no personal possessions in it, and looks like no one has lived there.

* {{DramaticIrony}}: Adam laments about Cal's lack of ambition compared to Aron who graduated early and is going to Stanford, even though the audience knows that Cal convinced Aron to graduate early, and Aron is only pursuing higher education as a way to escape reality. Not to mention that Cal is anything but lazy, as Lee points out to Adam when he hears the words.

* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: Aron and Cal look alike but they're not identical. Aron is taller and has lighter hair.

* BatmanGambit: Cathy has a gift for seeing people's weaknesses and the sociopathy needed to manipulate them. It's a repeated theme through the book that she'll mention an idea, it will spread and become other people's beliefs, but no one will remember it originated from her. (Ex:'s The minister who committed suicide had trouble in Boston, they should jar their own fruits at the whorehouse, etc.)

* EmptyShell: Cathy loves no one and has no desires, hobbies, personal likes or dislikes of her own, besides her willingness to manipulate and hurt anyone in her way for personal gain. When she runs away from home, her parents note that her room has no personal possessions in it, and looks like no one has lived there.