• What Is OWN?
    Watch the preview!
  • Oprah's Club
    Sign up for the official book club newsletter
  • On Demand
    Watch Oprah's interview with Uwem Akpan
  • Little Readers
    Give your child the gift of books

Interesting Facts About Steinbeck's East of Eden

Symbol Characters

Cains
  • Cyrus Trask
  • Charles, Cyrus's son by Alice
  • Cathy Ames, marries Adam and sleeps with Charles
  • Cathy's son Caleb, Aron's twin, raised by Adam


Abels
  • Alice Trask, Cyrus' second wife
  • Adam, Cyrus' son by his first wife
  • Abra Bacon, falls in love at first with Aron, then with Caleb
  • Cathy's son Aron, Caleb's twin, raised by Adam