In East of Eden, John Steinbeck communicates the reliance of the human soul on free will to establish itself, which proves to be true to an extent, but, considering a Christian worldview, other variables such as God’s image, original sin, and forgiveness influence the human soul’s construction.
Steinbeck attempts the challenging task of exploring the enigmatic basis of humanity, ultimately reasoning the human soul requires free will in order to exist. While I argue that Steinbeck does not succeed in presenting the complete image of the human soul, he captures essential components of it through valid arguments concerning “original sin” in relation to free will. It is evident that Cathy’s bestial identity potentially resides within Cal. After …show more content…
Even though genealogy and original sin influence one’s character, Steinbeck creates a picture of the homo sapien ability to establish an identity apart from ancestors through free will. With that in mind, he also communicates that without free will humanity is inherently evil. When Cal asks Lee about Cathy’s personality, he cogitates, “It seems to me that she is not like other people. There is something she lacks. Kindness maybe, or conscience… She was full of hatred.” (444). Without the ability to establish the human soul with a conscience, Cathy falls into a “monstrous” state, consumed with evil. Steinbeck exploits her character to display the results of not having free will, simply being programmed to be corrupt. In a Christian perspective, humanity is stained with evil due to sin’s role in the world today. We live in a post-fall world created by Adam and Eve’s submission to sin, inheriting their sin throughout generations. The current status of humanity aligns with Steinbeck’s view of inherently evil humans, but God initially fashioned humans, His creation, to be good. In Genesis 1:31, after creating mankind but before the fall, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” This ideal accounts for Cal’s struggle between good and evil. He desires to be good but feels cursed to give into wickedness. As Christians, we strive to be like …show more content…
Steinbeck illuminates the genetic characteristics relating to good and evil that are inherited throughout generations. This original sin guarantees that all humans are capable of great evil, yet Steinbeck argues that humans have the choice to either succumb to that immorality or conquer it by pursuing goodness. Adding to this secular perspective, Christianity proposes that God’s actions influence the human soul’s formation through redemption and forgiveness as the curse of sin disappears through Jesus. Throughout time people have sought knowledge concerning the human soul only to discover that it is significantly more complicated than they first believed because of all the influences acting up the human consciousness. People have free will to process information and make their own decisions, but the influences acting upon that free will are countless, making each human soul
Steinbeck attempts the challenging task of exploring the enigmatic basis of humanity, ultimately reasoning the human soul requires free will in order to exist. While I argue that Steinbeck does not succeed in presenting the complete image of the human soul, he captures essential components of it through valid arguments concerning “original sin” in relation to free will. It is evident that Cathy’s bestial identity potentially resides within Cal. After …show more content…
Even though genealogy and original sin influence one’s character, Steinbeck creates a picture of the homo sapien ability to establish an identity apart from ancestors through free will. With that in mind, he also communicates that without free will humanity is inherently evil. When Cal asks Lee about Cathy’s personality, he cogitates, “It seems to me that she is not like other people. There is something she lacks. Kindness maybe, or conscience… She was full of hatred.” (444). Without the ability to establish the human soul with a conscience, Cathy falls into a “monstrous” state, consumed with evil. Steinbeck exploits her character to display the results of not having free will, simply being programmed to be corrupt. In a Christian perspective, humanity is stained with evil due to sin’s role in the world today. We live in a post-fall world created by Adam and Eve’s submission to sin, inheriting their sin throughout generations. The current status of humanity aligns with Steinbeck’s view of inherently evil humans, but God initially fashioned humans, His creation, to be good. In Genesis 1:31, after creating mankind but before the fall, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” This ideal accounts for Cal’s struggle between good and evil. He desires to be good but feels cursed to give into wickedness. As Christians, we strive to be like …show more content…
Steinbeck illuminates the genetic characteristics relating to good and evil that are inherited throughout generations. This original sin guarantees that all humans are capable of great evil, yet Steinbeck argues that humans have the choice to either succumb to that immorality or conquer it by pursuing goodness. Adding to this secular perspective, Christianity proposes that God’s actions influence the human soul’s formation through redemption and forgiveness as the curse of sin disappears through Jesus. Throughout time people have sought knowledge concerning the human soul only to discover that it is significantly more complicated than they first believed because of all the influences acting up the human consciousness. People have free will to process information and make their own decisions, but the influences acting upon that free will are countless, making each human soul