Special Prompts
You are reading, and your sibling asks you, "hey, what's that book about?"
Write a detailed response to your sibling, including at least one lesson someone could learn about life by reading it.
The book is about good and evil, and one life lesson is that you can get second chances in life.
Consider Charles' will: it stipulates that half of Charles' money should go to Cathy.
Why do you think Charles included this stipulation instead of giving it all to Adam? What does it suggest about his relationships with the both of them?
I think Charles divided his will to show support for Cathy and Adam. He was very lonely and might've thought that splitting his will would make Adam less upset and visit him because he supports his decisions.
Find a quote/passage from Ch. 32-33 that helps reveal the close bond shared between Tom and Dessie.
Then discuss: in what ways do they complicate the novel's depiction of sibling relationships? BONUS (100pts): Which Hamilton brother inadvertently contributes to Tom's deep depressive state?
"You sound like your father,"(398) They were very close and this quote helps show that, in this novel it is very rare to find a healthy sibling relationship because everyone is usually depicted as Cain or able.
I think will contributed the most to Tom's deep depressive state.
How does the info we receive about Charles' last 12 years without Adam contribute to our understanding of his symbolic connections to Cain? Have these connections held strong? (p. 371-372)
Cain was exiled from his home to wander by himself, while Charles wasn't with his home(Adam) and was very lonely.
Why do you think Tom is looked down upon by Will for writing poetry? (p. 392)
He finds it a sign that he is mentally going downhill and discourages the hobby.
Grab a blank sheet of paper. Collaborate to draw a quick sketch of Cathy/Kate during the moments following Adam's most recent departure from the brothel (p. 385, paragraph starting with "Kate sat down and stared...")
Add a thought bubble which contains her likely thoughts after being psychoanalyzed by Adam.
"I need to find a way to take back control of the situation" she see's herself losing control of the situation.
We've noted some similarities between Cal and Charles... but what similarities does Cal share with a young Adam?
Find a quote that represents Cal's similarities to Adam. (100 bonus pts. per additional quote)
While Cal is often compared to his uncle Charles due to their shared "Cain" archetype, he also shares profound similarities with a young Adam Trask. Both characters are defined by their desperate, unrequited longing for a father’s approval and the crushing weight of paternal rejection.
Relate Lee's character to the concept/theme of duality of man. How does his outward persona conflict with his truest motivations?
BONUS (+100): What might Steinbeck be trying to argue through this conflicting aspect of Lee's character?
In Lee's outward persona he portrays himself as very different from the world by having an accent and being an immigrant but in reality he is very knowledgeable and just like everyone else.
He might be trying to argue the different way people were treated as immigrants or being different than others.
Which side does Steinbeck seem to lean towards regarding the nature vs. nurture argument, based on the novel so far? (BONUS: do you agree?)
He seems to lean on nature because whenever she is explained he states that she was like this from birth and she was raised well. I personally also agree with this.
Tom blames himself for Dessie's death, calling it a 'murder' in his own head (408).
Do you agree or disagree with his estimation? Explain.
No, he ultimately had good intentions and didn't know what to do. so I don't think he committed murder
Imagine that Charles had been sending letters to Adam throughout the 11 years between Adam's move and Charles' death... but each letter got lost somehow.
From Charles' POV, write a theoretical final letter to Adam.
Dear Adam,
It's been a long time since I last heard from you. Iv'e fallen sick and I have become very lonely here by myself. I don't know how long I have and I wanted to get your approval before I finalize my will. Right now in my will I'm planning to give half of my estate and money between you and your wife. please write back soon, I miss you.
Sincerely, Charles
Near the end of Part 3, it is revealed that Adam is buying Dessie's house in Salinas... where Kate owns her brothel.
Aron does not yet know that she is still alive. Make a prediction: if Aron finds out, how could his relationship with Adam be affected?
I think it wouldn't be good for their relationship because he looks up to his dad and to find out that he lied would be very bad for their relationship.
Do Steinbeck's portrayals of women so far align with modern portrayals of women in media and/or literature? Provide reasons for the yes and/or no side.
No, modern literature features women more and gives them more depth as a character rather than making them either evil, or a mother.
What does Ch. 29 (the chapter about Adam learning how to turn on his new Ford) suggest about Steinbeck's views about modernity's promise to make the world better?
He explains the car very confusingly showing that his view of modernity is that its too complicated or confusing.
Remember Timshel, the Hebrew word for "thou mayest", which Lee determined represents humans' choice to conquer sin.
Where does Tom fall on a hypothetical spectrum of whether or not he embodies Lee's idea, and how do we know? (Use p. 407-410.)
On the hypothetical spectrum of timshel, Tom Hamilton falls into a tragic and complex position. While he possesses the moral sensitivity to understand the choice between good and evil, he ultimately represents the failure to believe in one’s own power to conquer sin.
On pages 407–410, we see Tom grappling with the aftermath of his sister Dessie’s death—a death he feels responsible for because he gave her the salts that aggravated her illness.