The Search For Something More

I too am running behind a bit behind on the reading, sorry :D

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.”

I can’t help but pick this quote, I know two of us did already, but it really “spoke” to me.

I think that the power of free will in the human mind is the most precious of human capabilities. The ability to fight against any force – ideological, religious, political or otherwise – is something that is amazing and beautiful. To stand up and fight for what you believe in is something that everyone should be able to do without worrying about reprisal or persecution.

I think that the characters in East of Eden have struggled with the problem of evil throughout most of the novel so far, and I think that there is still hope that they will have the freedom to choose between either good or evil in the end.
I have to agree with you guys, I think Steinbeck is an amazing author, he has a way with the human language that speaks volumes hours after you close the book. To have that ability is enviable and spectacular.

This quote reminds of something else too:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

"And this I believe: the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world."

Okay, so I am a little behind on reading. But since I can't do an in depth post, I thought I would see about some passage discussing. As I am reading this book, I am delighted with the number of paragraphs and sentences that jump out and make me go, "Freaking Wow! This fella knows how to write!"

Here is one that really caught my attention and made me think:

"Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men. There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy. Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man.

And now the forces marshaled around the concept of the group have declared a war of extermination on that preciousness, the mind of man. By disparagement, by starvation, by repressions, forced direction, and the stunning hammerblows of conditioning, the free, roving, mind is being pursued, roped, blunted, drugged. It is a sad suicidal course our species seems to have taken."

Do you all agree or disagree?

Is it Lust or Love that Makes Us Blind?

This morning I was thinking about Adam and Cathy. Yes, I really want to shake Adam for falling under Cathy's spell, and I want to shoot Cathy for all the harm she's caused others.

I noticed how all of us talk about Adam being in love with Cathy and how it makes him blind to what she really is. We see her evilness and we see that nearly all the other characters see it as well. I have to wonder though, is Adam really in love with her or just in lust with her? He's so blind to her real character and not seeing who she is that it makes me curious.

The thought came up because when I read Jane Eyre I enjoyed the love story to it in the sense that Jane and Rochester fell in love with each other because of who they are. They acknowledged each other's strengths and weaknesses, did not lie to each other, but still loved one another (we're completely ignoring the fact that I wanted to slap Rochester every other page). With Adam though, he seems so blinded by his infatuation with Cathy that he notices nothing about her actual self. Steinbeck proves it too when he says Adam's Cathy. So the woman that Adam has envisioned Cathy to be does not actually exist. What was it about Cathy that managed to enthrall Adam, as well as her pimp from early on. The difference with Adam and the pimp, is that that the pimp, after first pissing Cathy off, saw who she was and decided to get rid of her. Not that it worked. Instead she fell into Adam's hands. How is it someone evil can draw protection from a man like Adam, even in the state she was in when he and Charles found her?

So, my question is, was Adam simply in lust with Cathy and has been shocked out of it now that she shot and left him?

Just Keep Moving Along

I'm really enjoying East of Eden. I'm at a point where I'm very concerned for some of the characters. Right now Faye is at the top of my concern list. I don't want "Kate" to hurt her. What I like a lot about this story is how Steinbeck formats his chapters, giving all of us different tidbits of everyone's life. Especially when the narrator identified himself as Olive's son. I did have to laugh when the story of her flight came about. The pilot is amazed by Olive's adventurous spirit, while Olive is being brave and calm to help him accept his coming doom. It was entertaining to me to say the least.

I really like Lee's character. I think he has a lot of wisdom that he hasn't shown to Adam, but Samuel has gotten him to talk. I'm hoping to see Lee open  up to Adam more and that Lee helps Adam "move through the motions" the way Samuel told him too. The friendship budding between Lee and Samuel is nice to see. Samuel is definitely different for his time. Instead of judging Lee, he simply tries to understand him, which I think is awesome on his part, and I think Lee really sees that, especially since he opens up to him.

Part of me really wanted to shake Adam. He was so blinded by love for Cathy that he didn't see who she really was, and Charles did. The fact that Charles and Cathy are kindred spirits of sorts to me tells me things won't bode well for Adam in the long run, especially since now he has twins to raise since she ran off.

I've got a lot of questions for the rest of the story, but I suppose the only way I'll get the answers I want for them is to read the rest of the novel. :-) Awesome pick Katie, I'm really digging this!!

Steinbeck, you've got style

I really love the way Steinbeck has formatted his book.  Each chapter centers around a character and the chapter is broken into several parts; each of these sections is used to tell a specific situation.  Each mini story within the chapter reveals so much about the characters. Every details just connects me more with the characters and helps me understand them.  I feel like this book is not build on a storyline or sequence of events but rather the characters.  What is going on with individual characters is building the bigger story.

Olive Hamilton is a good example.  He only spends one chapter on her but there is so much we learn about her. We learn her background as a teacher, her desire to live in the city, and her life as a mother. I especially love the second part of the chapter when Olive declares war on the Germans for kill a local boy, Martin Hopps.  There is so much we learn about Olive's character as she prepares for her airplane ride where she believes she will not come back alive. 

I think Steinbeck is brilliant in picking out situations and details that tell us about his characters.  I hope one day I can write like Steinbeck in developing my characters and revealing information and details that will create a connection with the reader.

"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.  And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected."