east of eden responce essays

east of eden responce essays "A man so painfully in love is capable of self-tortue beyond belief." This powerful line struck me as i read chapter nine of John Stienbecks, East of Eden. A strong message is founded by this Chapter, and is simply stated in that one line. Mr. Edwards, a man surrounded by women has created a most impersonal relationship with every one. He seems to have a strong controll over himself and conducts himself as a man of business. He cannot be bothered with emotion of conection because it may interferr with business. Aloof and alone, Mr.Edwards self is completely trasnformed the moment he meets Catherine, a woman who possesses a key, that allots her to pass through the boundaries of Mr. Edwards' soul. Stienbeck skillfully developes the character of Mr. Edwards. To the reader, he is easy to understand and fairly simple. His motives were obvious and it seems he could not care much less for anything else. Not an ignorent man, he distrusted most of his woman and thought of them as units. He was the perfect character to present the intense powers of Catherine. The reader has already experienced has evil and was slightly aware of her power over men, but hardly to the extent of her relationship to Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards may have been a smart, cold man, but he was powerless in the presents of Catherine. "And indeed a little warning buzz did sound in his brain, but it was not loud enough." Steinbeck foreshadows the fall of Mr. Edwards. Part Two of Chapter Nine explains the depths of Catherines controll and Mr. Edwards misery. "If in all the years Mr. Edwards had heard about anyone like himself he would have laughed. For Mr. Edwards, as a coldblooded a whoremaster as ever lived, had fallen hopelessly, miserably in love with Catherine Amesbury." The words capture, so well the irony and tragedy of this situation. Steinbeck even uses Catherines full name to make it clear that she has become everything to Mr. Edwards. He spends a great deal of his...