East of Eden Book Club Questions and Guide
This article is all about the East of Eden Book Club Questions and Guide.
I am so excited for this new series where I share book recommendations paired with book club discussion questions. East of Eden is one of my favourite books literally ever. It was written by John Steinbeck in 1952, and now stands as one of America’s quintessential pieces of literature.
The story itself mimics the fall of Adam and Eve, and the rivalries of Cain and Abel. But it is more than that, it is the exploration of morality, the discovery of self and the contrast of perception.
But don’t worry, we will break this all down so you and your book club can enjoy East of Eden as the complex novel it is.
This article is all about the East of Eden Book Club Questions and Guide.
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East of Eden Discussion Questions
- Firstly, and most importantly, how did you feel when you read the novel? Did you like it, and if so- why?
- Did you have any perceptions before you started the story, and how did they change as you read?
- What, to you, was the central theme in the story?
- What does Samuel Hamilton represent in the story?
- Did you have a favourite character? And were there any characters you related to?
- Do you think Cathy is inherently evil? Is there anything about her that could redeem her character?
- Do we think that Adam was innocent in his and Cathy’s relationship?
- How does the story of Aron and Cal mimic that of Adam and Charles and how is it different?
- Lee was a voice of reason and stability throughout the story, but what do you think about the ways he chose to live his life? Why did he not leave for long when he had the chance to pursue his dreams?
- I loved how Steinbeck inserted himself as the narrator in the story, however his narration was so far removed from the time line of the majority of the story? Does that make him an unreliable narrator?
- What do you think happens to Cal after the story finishes?
- Steinbeck wrote ‘there is only one book to a man’, when writing East of Eden, why do you think he chose this book to be his?
- Has reading the novel changed how you think and feel? If yes, how so?
Printable East of Eden Discussion Questions pdf
Print off the East of Eden Book Club Questions to help your book club run as smooth as possible.
Click here to download (Includes a clear, font size 19 version for accessibility).
Font size 19 version for accessibility.
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Annotation Guide- East of Eden Themes
If you are considering having a book club for East of Eden by John Steinbeck, consider looking out for the following themes.
- Free will and moral choice
- Family relationships
- generational conflict
- Good, Evil and the Soul
- Time
- Love
- Lonliness
- The biblical story of Cain and Abel
- The power of stories
- Identity
- Work and wealth
Pro tip- choose 3-5 themes that most interest you.
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Character List
The Trask Family
- Cyrus Trask. Adam and Charles’s father. A complicated, difficult man whose actions have a compounding effect throughout the story as his sons grow, and as Adam raises his own sons.
- Adam Trask. One of the novel’s central characters. A husband, son and father, often finding himself ruled by emotion.
- Charles Trask. Adam’s younger brother. Jealous and sometimes violent.
- Cathy Ames / Kate. Adam’s wife and Aron and Caleb’s mother. Intelligent, manipulative and deeply cruel, she becomes one of the novel’s main antagonistic forces.
- Aron Trask. Adam and Cathy’s son and Caleb’s twin. Gifted, intelligent, but sees the world in black and white.
- Caleb “Cal” Trask. Aron’s twin brother. More troubled and introspective than Aron, Cal struggles with the fear that he is inherently bad.
The Hamilton Family
- Samuel Hamilton. An inventive, well-liked, presence of good. He is an Irish immigrant.
- Liza Hamilton. Samuel’s practical and religious wife.
- Tom Hamilton.
- Will Hamilton
- Joe Hamilton.
- George Hamilton.
- Olive Hamilton. John Steinbeck’s mother.
- Una Hamilton.
- Lizzie Hamilton.
- Dessie Hamilton.
- Mollie Hamilton
Other Important Characters
- Lee. The Trask family’s Chinese-American servant. Highly intelligent, thoughtful and philosophical.
- Abra Bacon. Aron and Cal’s childhood friend and later Aron’s sweetheart. She becomes increasingly important to Cal and helps challenge his ideas about good and evil.
- Mr. Bacon. Abra’s father and a successful local businessman.
- Faye. The owner of the brothel where Cathy/Kate eventually works.
- Ethel. One of the women who works at Kate’s brothel.
This article was all about your ultimate book club guide to East of Eden.
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