Motif: Land as a Characterizing Force

1. Motif: Land as a Characterizing Force Through a study in contrast, the reader can see that Steinbeck deftly places two of his main characters on plots of land that are the opposite of their owners’ personalities. Samuel Hamilton is a vibrant, extroverted man who showers others with joy, wisdom, and love throughout the Salinas Valley. Oddly enough, he lives on a piece of land that “will break a man’s heart and eat him up” because as early as June the hills “were dry and the stones showed through the short, burned feed” (p. 137). Samuel, in contrast to his arid piece of unforgiving property, offers those around him the best of humanity; he is a proverbial spring of water that nourishes his children and family. Adam Trask lives on land quite the opposite of Samuel’s. The 900 acres he purchased near King City, where “Huge live oaks shaded the valley, and the earth had a richness and a greenness foreign to this part of the country.” The abundance of animals and wildflowers this property supportsbelie the emptiness and desolation of Adam’s life.

2. Theme: The Pain of Paternal Rejection This is a theme that drives much of the violent conflict between siblings throughout the book. The primary effect it has on the characters of Charles and Caleb is that it creates great anguish in their lives. They are consumed and tormented with not understanding why their respective fathers do not love them as much as their siblings. Charles and Caleb deal with this anguish by hating their brothers and making their lives’ difficult. In a general sense, Adam “had always felt the danger in his brother” pg. 23, and in a more specific sense, he “lay unconscious on the ground [as] Charles kicked him heavily in the stomach and walked away,” nearly dying when he beat Charles in a game of peewee. The ripple effect of Cyrus and Adam not equally loving their sons is immeasurable. The paternal rejection is the figurative match that sparks the raging fire of violence that burns within Charles and Caleb.

3. Motif: The Gifts/Sins of the Father The sinful side of this motif most applies to Cyrus Trask. Cyrus had a daily presence in his sons’ lives. He “had let it be known clearly and with finality that training the boys physically and mentally was his exclusive province.” Unfortunately for Adam and Charles, their formative years were spent drilling and preparing to be soldiers. Cyrus didn’t cultivate a loving father-son relationship, rather he created a military style General- Private relationship. He pushed them far too hard as little boys, and in the process turned Charles into a monster of sorts, and alienated Adam. Cyrus’ drilling and discipline did not benefit his sons at all, as Steinbeck writes, “The techniques and training were not designed for the boys at all but only to make Cyrus a great man.” pg. 20. Because Cyrus could not be a career soldier, he tries to force it on his sons. Cyrus deprived his boys of what they truly needed: love, kindness, and freedom to grow into their interests and preferences. Cyrus damaged his sons beyond repair.

4. Symbol: Charles’ scar. Charles obtains this scar while trying to move a boulder on his property. He says of the scar, “It just seems like I was marked,” (p. 46) referring to how the scar is dark, seems to be growing darker, and appears like a long fingermark laid on his forehead. The idea that Charles has been marked, or labeled by such an unsightly scar is apropos (fitting), for he certainly has a long list of transgressions against his brother Adam.

5. Symbol: The Salinas Valley Like many of Steinbeck’s works, the physical setting lends meaning to the work as a whole. On page 1, the two sides of the valley are described, “The Gabilans to the east … light gay mountains, full of sun and loveliness and a kind of invitation”, and “The Santa Lucias stood up against the sky to the west… dark and brooding – unfriendly and dangerous.” The opposing mountain ranges serve to counteract one another, further reinforcing the main idea of the struggle between good and evil that plays itself out in the novel.

6. Motif: Fortunes & Inheritances There are three substantial inheritances in the novel, all within the Trask family. The first is Cyrus’, which is split between Adam and Charles. The second is Charles’, which is left to Adam and Cathy, and Cathy’s fortune, which she leaves solely to Aron. The inheritances, however, are more than financial. If we assume that Cyrus’ fortune was come by dishonestly (which Charles thinks) then the beneficiaries of each inherited fortune are using money that was ill-gotten. (Let’s not forget, as well, that part of Cathy’s fortune was made through prostitution.) The money, in effect, is tainted, a burden that Charles and Cal struggle with greatly. On the one hand, they have inherited money, but have they also inherited the sins of their father, or in Cal’s case, his mother. Steinbeck, however, offers his characters an “out” clause: moral determination, or “timshel”. Individual’s are free to choose their moral and ethical code.