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Friday, November 26, 2010

East of Eden XLIV -- chpt44: HUMANS JUST SMELL BAD SOMETIMES

Reading Questions
Chapter 44.1

  1. What's the clear difference between Aron's situation, in which he is creating the girl he loves to be something other than what she is, and his father's situation, when he did the same thing?
  2. Those around him seem to believe that Aron needs to be pulled from the clouds.  There's one sure-fire way to do it, albeit extreme and likely to result in permanent damage.  Is there another way?  Remember, in order to maintain parallels Steinbeck may very well need to kill Abel, and Cain's probably gotta have something to do with it, whether it's a literal of figurative killing.  Regardless, why might a partial killing just not do?
  3. Why doesn't Lee want tell Abra the truth (and how does she trick him) the way he told Cal?  He knows she can handle it.  What is his cowardice (and a cowardice perhaps redoubled for his giving in to her wiles)?
  4. There's a sense in Lee already telling him what will happen regarding Cal's gift.  He can talk to Cal and Cal will listen, yet he doesn't say anything more than he "hopes."


Chapter 44.2

  1. "You'r crazy," said Cal.  "Aron will knock that out you." // "Do you think he will?" // "Why, sure," said Cal.  "He's got to."  

2 comments:

  1. 44.1.1. The difference is that Adam is actually even more ironic because Cathy is a monster, and Abra is actually a very nice girl, just not perfect. In a way, Aron is almost worse because he's missing what's great in reality about Abra, while there is nothing great about Cathy.
    42.1.2. The problem is that Aron is a man of extremes. Abra is perfect. His father is evil. His life is built on so many extremes that to try to make him give up what he views as the perfect lifestyle would in effect kill him. It's almost like pulling out a piece from a Jenga tower. There's a high probability the entire thing is just going to collapse altogether.
    44.2.1. I loved that passage. However, we should know it's not completely true because Aron never knocked the badness out of Cal. We know that Aron will try. But he could just as easily defeat himself in the process.

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  2. For all his purity, Aron is actually--at least in his immaturity (hopefully that's all it is) --a pretty rotten kid; and heaven bless Abra for loving him anyway!
    If Aron's tower indeed collapses, can he recover? What will such a recovery require? I think such a collapse is the only way for him to dismount his high horse, 'cause he ain't coming down on his own!

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