1. East of Eden Essay Questions
1. Although Steinbeck portrays Cathy as a near-inhuman creature of seemingly inherent evil, the idea
of timshel implies that she has the power to choose her own path. Is Cathy born a moral monster, or
does she become one of her own accord? What elements of Cathy’s character or episodes from the
novel lead you to your conclusion?
2. How important a role does Lee play in the novel? How would you characterize Steinbeck’s
portrayal of him? Does this affect his importance as a character or does it say something about
Steinbeck and what he was thinking about when he created this character?
Your essay should be persuasive in nature and be no less than 1000 words and no
more than 1500 words. MLA format is required for this assignment. The polished
copy along with all rough work is due Friday January 15th/ 2010. Essays submitted
on Monday January 18th will be penalized 10% and 5% a day up until a 50%
penalty.