I think one of the most entertaining parts of this book so far are the relationships, especially Cyrus and his wife. Not only does he giver her syphilis but she later commits suicide because of it, leaving him to take care of the land and the children.
I guess Cyrus is completely challenged and can't care for himself and his offspring so the only thing he can think of doing is to marry someone so she can do all the work!
You can already feel the tension beginning to brew, Cyrus tells Adam that he loves Adam more that his brother Charles, and we all know how well that worked out before.
I'm not sure how I feel about the secret gifts that Adam has been leaving his stepmother, Alice. While on the one hand they aren't related by blood, I find it to be a tad creepy. I'm sure that it is plutonic, but you never know.
I find it interesting that the Trask family has settled on barren land that is hard to cultivate, and they find themselves fraught with strife and hostility. On the other hand the Hamilton family settles on the fertile land and remain close and loving with one another. Its almost a statement that the your surroundings can determine your life and relationships.
I enjoy the obvious elusions to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the feuding brothers. And the Trask brothers are mirroring them quite well, with the exception that Charles does not kill Adam, instead he gives a brutal beating. I think Steinbeck chose not to end the story here because, one we are only 5 chapters in, and two he knew that there was more here to be told.
I look forward to seeing what we have in store.
The gift thing was kind of strange, but I liked that he did it to make her smile. I was really sad when Alice told Adam that she believed Charles was giving her the gifts all along.
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