History Literature / EastOfEden

* ParentalFavoritism: Cyrus prefers Adam over Charles - even though Charles loved his father while Adam did not. Adam [[spoiler:prefers Aron]]. Deconstructed by the second half of the novel. [[spoiler:Adam's favoritism of Aron makes him contribute to Aron's inability to face reality, including lying to him about his mother his entire life. It ultimately leads to Aron's death]].

** Implied to be the case with Aron. It's suggested that his image as the good son comes from years of studying his father and imitating him.

* CutHimselfShaving: Cathy walks out on Adam Trask and leaves him the parting gift of a bullet in the shoulder. When the sheriff questions him, he says that the gun went off while he was cleaning it. Since Adam is a cavalry officer and a really bad liar, this doesn't really fly.
* DevilInPlainSight: Cathy in her early years, as many people are able to see or at least feel uneasy about the person she actually is.

* EvilTwin: Deconstructed. Cal views himself as the bad twin and is convinced he'll never be anything else. In spite of this he still tries to change this perception of himself, and it's revealed that he's only this way because he's desperate for anyone to love him. It also shows the negative effect ParentalFavouritism has by propping one twin up as good and the other as bad.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Aron runs off to enlist in the Army to get away from everyone.

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Adam and Charles (who are actually described as having a relationship more similar to that of a sister and a brother), Aron and Cal.

* SiblingTriangle: [[spoiler:Cathy marries Adam, but sleeps with his brother Charles]]. Later, [[spoiler: Aron's girlfriend Abra transfers her affections to Cal due to Aron's rejection of her and her own realizations of Aron not wanting to face reality]].

** The Cal and Aron mirror Will and Tom to an extent. Will and Cal work well together, being both practical and business-minded. Both Aron and Tom wind up as DoomedMoralVictor of sorts, though Aron's status as one is a bit dubious since Aron takes his idealization to an extreme to wanting to find shelter from reality.

* ParentalSubstitute: To a downplayed extent Lee is this toward Caleb due to his father preferring his brother Aron. He's the one who gives him advice throughout the novel and can see the better points of his character that Adam fails to recognize.

** The Cal and Aron mirror Will and Tom to an extent. Will and Cal work well together, being both practical and business-minded. Both Aron and Tom wind up as DoomedMoralVictor of sorts, though Aron's status as one is debatable considering how much of his actions are driven by his desire to find shelter from reality.

** How different? Well, it turns out that Lee and his Tong leaders have been studying ancient Hebrew in order to analyse a single word in Literature/TheBible.

* ParentalFavoritism: Cyrus prefers Adam over Charles - even though Charles loved his father while Adam did not. Adam [[spoiler:prefers Aron]].

* DevilInPlainSight: Cathy in her early years.

* SiblingTriangle: [[spoiler:Cathy marries Adam, but sleeps with his brother Charles]]. Later, [[spoiler: Aron's girlfriend Abra transfers her affections to Cal]].

** The Cal and Aron mirror Will and Tom to an extent. Will and Cal work well together, being both practical and business-minded. Both Aron and Tom wind up as DoomedMoralVictor of sorts.

* MeaningfulName: Naming the boys Caleb and Aaron was after the Bible characters. In a counterpoint to the Cain and Abel sequence, it was Caleb and not Aaron who lived to reach the Promised Land, but because Caleb was one who hadn't sinned.

* DirectLineToTheAuthor[=/=]AutobiographicalRole: John Steinbeck himself as a young boy shows up in the novel as a minor character. Steinbeck is implied to have heard about and/or seen the events in the novel as he was growing up and simply wrote about them as an adult. The Hamiltons are indeed loosely based on author Steinbeck's own relatives but their lives are supposedly rather heavily fictionaluzed.

* {{Fauxreigner}}: When Lee first appears in the book, he sepaks in stereotypical YouNoTakeCandle fashion, but when a character comments he can't possibly talk like that all the time, he drops the act and speaks normally for the rest of the book.

The book was adapted into a 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]].

The book was adapted to a 1955 film by Elia Kazan, starring James Dean in his breakout role. 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]].

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Subverted. Abra is initially put off by Cal's bad traits. It's not until she gets to know him that she takes an interest. She also loses interest in Aron once he starts showing that he's not as good as he seems.

* AmbiguouslyGay: In the book, Abra seems to suspect that Aron is gay, and his disinterest in Abra does develop along with his intense admiration of the pastor, Mr. Rolf.

* 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 ministed who committed suicide had trouble in Boston, they should jar their own fruits at the whorehouse, etc.)

* CallingTheOldManOut: Abra does this to Adam [[spoiler: after he had a stroke]] for his treatment of Cal.

* TheClan: two for the price of one!

* ForTheEvulz: Apparently why Charles sleeps with Cathy on her and Adam's wedding night (even though he had been suspicious about her and warned Adam). When she tells Charles she gave Adam her painkiller-spiked tea accidentally-on-purpose, he merely laughs and says "That poor bastard."

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Aron. In the movie, [[spoiler:he smashes his head through the window of the train, laughing maniacally at Adam as it pulls away.]]
* GoodTwin: Deconstructed as well, though not the extent of EvilTwin. Aron is only considered good because he's "just like his father" and, while he shows kindness at various points, it's hinted that [[BeneathTheMask his image is all an act to win his father's approval]] (and outright confirmed in a deleted scene from the film).

* 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. Also, being played by James Dean helps a lot.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Abra is a redhead and has romantic attachments with both brothers.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler: Aron is definitely killed in World War I in the book, and that is what causes Adam's stroke. The film shows the stroke happening as he enlists, and his fate is left ambiguous. Kate likewise commits suicide in the book but her fate is never said in the film. To a lesser extent, Adam is definitely dying by the end of the novel, but appears to be recovering from his stroke by the end of the film]].

* AsianSpeekeeEngrish: {{Subverted}} and {{deconstructed}}. Lee seems to be this, but is actually faking it to go along with white people's expectations.

[[quoteright:285:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ts_8270.jpeg]]

A 1952 novel by Creator/JohnSteinbeck, ''East of Eden'' was brought to the screen in 1955 by director Creator/EliaKazan with a cast headed by Creator/JamesDean (in the only one of his films to be released before his death).

The Elia Kazan 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

* AdaptationDistillation: Director Elia Kazan decided to completely cut out the first two thirds of the book and just make the movie about the final third, which focuses on Adam's two sons as teenagers.
* AdaptationalHeroism: With the first two thirds of the novel cut out, Kate is far more sympathetic. In the novel, she's a murderess and arsonist as well as a ManipulativeBitch - who became the madam of the brothel by poisoning the original one. The film makes her seem more subtly tragic, even dropping hints that she regrets leaving her sons.

* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: Subverted, at least in the film. Aron and Cal look alike but they're not identical. Aron is taller and has lighter hair.

** Implied to be the case with Aron in the film. A DeletedScene shows that his image as the good son comes from years of studying his father and imitating him.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Kate's place in the film is shown only as a saloon, with no mention of sex or depravity. But as the other characters talk about "what she is" and [[spoiler: Aron's ultimate horror at discovering it]] leaves no doubt that she's the madam of a brothel.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist with "ideas coming out of his ears," even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one in the family who made any money." Others fall somewhere between Tom and Will. [[AuthorTract John loves his Uncle Tom but he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]]

* AisianSpeekeeEngrish: {{Subverted}} and {{deconstructed}}. Lee seems to be this, but is actually faking it to go along with white people's expectations.

* AwesomenessByAnaylsis: Charles, Cal, Abra, and especially Cathy are gifted at this, reading and manipulating the people around them to frightening effect.

* BeserkerTears: Discussed—one of Cal's favorite hobbies is to tease and taunt his twin brother Aron. But he always makes sure not to take it too far, for if Aron starts crying, he becomes violent and dangerous to deal with.

The novel concerns two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, who live in Salinas Valley, California. The Hamiltons, headed by patriarch Samuel Hamilton and wife Liza, initially settle into the valley with their nine kids. When the kids set out to seek their fortunes, the land is settled by the wealthy Adam Trask. The Trask family grows, adding a wife, Cathy, a DevilInPlainSight, and sons Cal and Aron. Just after the birth of the two sons, Cathy vanishes from their lives. Years later, the now-grown boys meet a girl named Abra, whose presence drives a wedge between the two.

* RomanAClef: the Hamilton sections are based heavily on Steinbeck's maternal family history.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Lee.
* ThemeInitials

* ElectiveBrokenEnglish: Lee pretends to speak English in stereotypical AsianSpeekeeEngrish fashion.

A 1952 novel by Creator/JohnSteinbeck, ''East of Eden'' was brought to the screen in 1955 by director Creator/EliaKazan with a cast headed by Creator/JamesDean.

A 1952 novel by Creator/JohnSteinbeck, ''East of Eden'' was brought to the screen in 1955 by director Creator/EliaKazan with a cast headed by JamesDean.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Cathy until she inherits Faye's brothel and no longer has to hide her real personality.

* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Adam and Charles (who are actually described as having a relatonship more similar to that of a sister and a brother), Aron and Cal.

* DirectLineToTheAuthor[=/=]AutobiographicalRole: John Steinbeck himself as a young boy shows up in the novel as a minor character, or at least a young boy named John Steinbeck who is the grandson of Samuel Hamilton, son of Ernest and Olive (nee Hamilton) Steinbeck (names of author's actual grandfather and parents), does. Steinbeck is implied to have heard about and/or seen the events in the novel as he was growing up and simply wrote about them as an adult. The Hamiltons are indeed loosely based on author Steinbeck's own relatives but their lives are supposedly rather heavily fictionaluzed.

* Satan: Cathy, complete with hoof-like feet.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist with "ideas coming out of his ears," even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one in the family who made any money." Others fall between Tom and Will. [[AuthorTract John loves his Uncle Tom but he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]]

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist with "ideas coming out of his ears," even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one in the family who made any money." [[AuthorTract John loves his Uncle Tom but he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]]

** The Cal and Aron mirror Will and Tom to an extent. Will and Cal work well together, being both practical and business-minded. Both Aron and Tom wind up as DoomedMoralVictors of sorts.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist with "ideas coming out of his ears," even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one in the family who made any money." [[AuthorTract John loves his Uncle Tom but he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]][[spoiler:inverted in that the ultimate protagonists of the story are the cynical but realistic survivors like Cal, notwithstanding Steinbeck's own preferences.]]

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist with "ideas coming out of his ears," even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one in the family who made any money." [[AuthorTract John loves his Uncle Tom but he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]]

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist, even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one in the family who made any money." [[AuthorTract John loves his Uncle Tom but he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]]

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Members of the Hamilton clan. Sam is a WideEyedIdealist, while Liza is a cynic. Of their children, Tom is another WideEyedIdealist, even more so than his father, while Will is a cynic who "never had any ideas" and thus "the only one who made any money." [[AuthorTract John loves Uncle Tom he doesn't seem to like Uncle Will much.]]