East of Eden Lesson Plan

Throughout the novel, how have we learned about the Trask men through the gifts they give to one another and their reactions to said gifts?

The exchange of gifts is an important motif throughout East of Eden: these exchanges often inspire change and provide insights into individual characters. From the beginning, Cyrus Trask's preference for Adam's gift of a puppy over Charles' gift of an expensive knife sets up the central tension in the novel: the jealousy between brothers.

This, of course, parallels God's rejection of Cain's gift in favor of Abel's. Similarly, Adam's rejection of Cal's gift of $15,000 parallels his own father's rejection of Charles' gift at the...