Registration for this course is closed. Many consider Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” to be his most ambitious novel. Steinbeck himself thought it to be his magnum opus, stating “East of Eden” “…has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years.” He later said, “I think everything else I have written has been, in a sense, practice for this.” The book explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, the struggle for acceptance and greatness, the capacity for self-destruction, and issues of guilt and freedom. It ties these themes together with references to and many parallels with the biblical story of Cain and Abel. As we accompany the Trask and Hamilton families through several generations of struggle and triumph, we will consider the sources of evil in our own lives and evaluate the opportunities for redemption. In our first session we will take a close look at the Biblical story of Cain and Abel (Genesis, chapter 4, verses 1-16), on which much of “East of Eden” is based. NOTE: Students will need to read Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” in any format and should have read at least the first six chapters before the first class.