“No one liked Cal very much and yet everyone was touched with fear of him and through fear with respect... Aron drew love from every side. He seemed shy and delicate”(Steinbeck 306). In East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the two twins, Cal and Aron Trask, are described as polar opposites. Cal is shown to be a more misunderstood character, and Aron is portrayed as a more welcomed character. Steinbeck renders their antithetical qualities by illustrating their rapports between other characters. Although Cal and Aron are twin brothers, they show many contrasting traits, such as the way that they are perceived by those around them, their relationships with Cathy, and their opposing moralities. Cal’s and Aron’s contrasting traits are observed by others
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When Cal finds out his mother, Cathy, has committed suicide, he begins to criticize her, telling Lee, “‘I hope it hurt’”(Steinbeck 114). He immediately regrets his comment though, adding, “‘There it is again. There it is! I don’t—want it—’”(Steinbeck 114), referring to how he does not want to resemble his mother’s evil nature. Lee replies saying, “‘You’re pretty full of yourself. You’re marveling at the tragic spectacle of Caleb Trask—Caleb the magnificent, the unique. Caleb whose suffering should have its Homer’” (Steinbeck 114). Lee shows Cal that he is a lot more than he makes himself seem. Cal’s perception of himself is skewed from reality due to what people say about him. Since he is somewhat of a social outcast, people have warped his view of himself, to the point where Lee must remind him of who he really is. Aron, on the other hand, does not question himself. He tends to see everything as black and white, good and bad, being described as, “unchanging once a course was set. He had few facets and very little versatility. His body was as insensitive to pain as was his mind to subtleties” (Steinbeck 306). Aron is a very unchanging, mindset character. He, unlike Cal, tends not to question himself, and has a very set view on what the world is around him. Alongside Cal’s and Aron’s trait differences, they also have differences in their relationships, especially with their mother
When Cal finds out his mother, Cathy, has committed suicide, he begins to criticize her, telling Lee, “‘I hope it hurt’”(Steinbeck 114). He immediately regrets his comment though, adding, “‘There it is again. There it is! I don’t—want it—’”(Steinbeck 114), referring to how he does not want to resemble his mother’s evil nature. Lee replies saying, “‘You’re pretty full of yourself. You’re marveling at the tragic spectacle of Caleb Trask—Caleb the magnificent, the unique. Caleb whose suffering should have its Homer’” (Steinbeck 114). Lee shows Cal that he is a lot more than he makes himself seem. Cal’s perception of himself is skewed from reality due to what people say about him. Since he is somewhat of a social outcast, people have warped his view of himself, to the point where Lee must remind him of who he really is. Aron, on the other hand, does not question himself. He tends to see everything as black and white, good and bad, being described as, “unchanging once a course was set. He had few facets and very little versatility. His body was as insensitive to pain as was his mind to subtleties” (Steinbeck 306). Aron is a very unchanging, mindset character. He, unlike Cal, tends not to question himself, and has a very set view on what the world is around him. Alongside Cal’s and Aron’s trait differences, they also have differences in their relationships, especially with their mother