Character Analysis Adam Trask

Grayson Kennedy
Mrs. Miller
AP Literature
2017 School Year
I attest that the following work is solely my own, and that I have not borrowed, copied, cheated, or plagiarized.
Character Analysis of Adam Trask Throughout the novel East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, Adam Trask played a prominent role. The character of Adam Trask is one in which many people can relate to. His attempts to overlook the sins of many people can be seen as kind and loving, however it is this that becomes his biggest flaw. Adam’s mother died when he was a young boy, causing him to be raised by his father, Cyrus, and his stepmother, Alice, who he loved dearly. Charles, his half brother, took notice of their father’s favoritism towards Adam and began to resent him for it.
His father, for example, was not an evil man, however he was a compulsive liar who was able to work in positions built off the platform of his false background. Cathy, Adam’s wife, would be another example because she killed her parents, lied about her whole life, and even shot Adam, but he still could not see her for who she was. After the departure of Cathy he did little to take care of his sons and rather grieved the loss and betrayal of his wife. It was stated that “He was aware of the twins because he heard them cry and laugh, but he felt a distaste for them. To Adam they were symbols of his loss”(250). This behavior would continue until Adam, Samuel, and Lee began to discuss the biblical story of Cain and Abel in which Cain kills Abel out of jealousy and is then told by God to overcome sin and is banished “East of Eden”. Lee believed that the story was altered in translation and stated “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin…The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou Shalt’, meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel-,’Thou mayest’- that gives a choice”(301). It was the word “timshel” that would forever change
He confronted Cathy and saw the evil and hatred she kept inside. He finally became disgusted by her and proved that he could no longer be controlled by her temptation. Adam then became a better, more loving father to his boys. It marked a shift in which Adam began as a symbol for the biblical character of Abel, then became the biblical character of Adam when he married Cathy, the symbol of eve, and finally he would represent the character of God in the Cain and Abel Story. His children, Cal and Aron, would then represent Cain and Abel. After unknowingly favoring Aron over Cal he ignited a flame of jealousy in Cal which would eventually cause him to bring Aron to their mother and destroy his life. Adam, unaware of his doing, discovered Aron enlisted in the military and was later killed. After learning of the death of his son Adam suffered a stroke. On his deathbed he finally broke the chain of evil set by his family by giving Cal his blessing. It was with one word that he showed Cal he loved him and that his destiny is only in the hands of