Essay on the Character of Caleb Trask in John Steinbecks East of Eden :: East Eden Essays

The Character of Caleb Trask in East of Eden Cal Trask is i of the most complex characters in John Steinbecks East of Eden. Through Cals puerility experiences, his personal motives, and his internal conflict, Steinbeck shows the development of Cals character. First of all, the most important childishness experience which affects Cals life is spells 12 year abandonment of his sons. Since Cathy ran away, the twins declare no start out figure to give them tenderness as they reverse up. This absence of open affection leaves Cal unable to express his needs for cheat and attention. Only Lee, the Chinese servant, is there to guide Cal and Aron. Since Cal is the more dominant of the twain brothers, he learns to manipulate Aron and others around him. He takes this role because, while no one liked Cal very much... Aron drew kip down from every stance(Steinbeck 551). Lee observes that hes Cal fighting for his life and his brother doesnt have to fight for his fathers love and affe ction(386). Cals well-intentioned motives are mostly aimed at winning his fathers love. He sacrifices his conceit and asks Will Hamilton to help him raise money to replace the money Adam lost in the lettuce adventure. When Adam rejects the money, he in effect rejects Cal, which is brutal, and unfeeling, and this after(prenominal) he had begun a cordial relationship with his son(Fontenrose 375). Cal is so distraught that he lashes out at Aron, his fathers favorite son, by telling him the rightfulness about their mother. This act is a contrast to a similar intersection point earlier in the novel when Cal doesnt tell Aron the truth about his mother because he didnt think Aron could handle it at all (586). Cal also withholds the training in an effort to be skinny, and because Cal knows that the revelation of his knowledge of this secret would assume pain to Adam, the man he loves the most. Finally, Cal is faced with his internal struggle of good versus evil. This struggle is pa rtly caused by his traumatic child experiences. He struggles with the caput of whether his evil actions are the result of his own evilness or his mothers wickedness. He tries to combat this wickedness that he sees within himself by trying to modernize affection, especially his fathers, through good deeds and being more winning towards other. However, he strikes out at others whenever he feels rejected by Adam, and he fights the urge to strike out at Aron, who Cal believes is Adams favorite son, by utilize his most devastating weapon---the truth about their mother.