The concept of good and evil has bewildered society ever since one could perceive the difference. Yet many still cannot decipher aspects of the opposing forces. One might argue that the qualities are present at birth, while others believe that society influences one's ego. The natural instinct would be to look at how an individual was reared as a child. How, exactly, does one's upbringing affect the moral balance between good and evil? In East of Eden, written by John Steinbeck, the biblical story of Cain and Abel is involved, forming the foundation of constant battles between good and evil. Moreover, by analyzing the childhood of individuals, the truth behind ones moral intuition can easily be determined. John Steinbeck
proposes the idea that “humans are caught…in a net of good and evil”, and it is one’s duty to reason with the choices, and, ultimately, arrive at a decision that one has formed alone (Steinbeck 411).