East of Eden Lecture: Timshel (Chapters 12-25)

'The word timshel - 'Thou mayest' - that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. The throws it right back on a man...'

Our journey through Steinbeck's great novel continues. And we're deepening our exploration of symbolism, enduring truths, and human nature.

We're also talking about the psychology of free will, moral agency, soft vs hard determinism, individualism vs collectivism, disillusionment, art as sublimated pain, allegory, observation vs preconception, and much more.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Steinbeck’s own life in the story
• 2:00 great art as sublimated pain
• 4:00 Steinbeck’s interpolated musings
• 6:00 on the storyteller as character
• 8:00 great boundary of the new century
• 12:00 the need for hope in the future
• 15:00 observation vs preconception
• 18:00 disillusionment in relationships
• 22:00 madonna-mistress complex
• 27:00 on flat vs round characters
• 29:00 pedestaling people in our lives
• 31:00 discovering a writer’s beliefs
• 33:00 Cathy as Eve or Lilith?
• 35:00 Cathy’s manipulation of Faye
• 38:00 only seeing your own creation
• 40:00 individualism, glory & creativity
• 43:00 Steinbeck’s aesthetic manifesto
• 45:00 the Cain & Abel story continues
• 47:00 on the story’s naming ceremony
• 50:00 Lee’s analysis of Cain & Abel
• 52:00 wounds as symbol of rebirth
• 54:00 the symbol story of mankind
• 55:00 on soft vs hard determinism
• 59:00 moral agency & soft determinism
• 1:02:00 the naming of Cal & Aron
• 1:04:00 most important word in the world
• 1:06:00 John Steinbeck’s timshel
• 1:08:00 how Samuel liberates Adam
• 1:11:00 your thoughts on the story?

Resources to Explore:

• Music Appreciation: The word 'Timshel' has inspired countless readers of Steinbeck ever since East of Eden was first published. Mumford and Sons even wrote a song that was directly influenced by the novel. Lyrics like this capture the essence of Steinbeck's message: 'And you have your choices, and these are what make man great.' Give the song a listen here, and let us know if this adds anything to your appreciation of the story. The band actually received the Steinbeck Award and Marcus Mumford gave a speech about the great writer here.
• The Principles of Psychology: A great way to get deeper into a work, and to expand your wider reading, is to read the books that the characters read. And we see that Samuel Hamilton is a reader of the works of William James. You might find it interesting to follow this rabbit hole and explore the incredibly influential The Principles of Psychology here.
• Comparison: You might find it interesting to hold Steinbeck up against some of the other great writers we have enjoyed together. How do his interpolated musings on history, culture, and people compared with those of Tolstoy (e.g. in volume three, chapter one of War and Peace)? How does Steinbeck's description of history compare with Dickens' opening to A Tale of Two Cities? How does his close analysis of scripture compare with Melville's in Father Mapple's sermon in Moby Dick? You may have your own personal comparisons come to mind. 
• Aspects of the Novel: We've spoken about E. M. Forster's theory of literature in regards to flat vs round characters before, but it's well worth returning to this book based on his Cambridge lectures to brush up on the fundamentals of the craft of fiction. 
• Film Appreciation: As recommended at the outset of our reading, it would be a great idea to reward yourself when you finish East of Eden with a viewing of Elia Kazan's film version. We will discuss the film in our next lecture, so it would be wonderful to know what you make of it. Do you agree or disagree with the decisions made in adapting the story for the big screen? You can watch the film here.

Reading Assignment: 

Our next discussion will take us through to the end of the story, so please read on and continue to note your impressions of the characters and themes as we draw to the conclusion of Steinbeck's great novel.

Questions for You:

1) What do you believe in? What must you fight for? And against?

2) Are all stories ultimately biographical? Should they be?

3) Have you had the experience of painful disillusionment?  

4) Lee says that 'timshel' might be the most important word in the world. What do you think?

And please do share with us your favourite passages and insights from the work so far. If you watch the film adaptation, let us know what you make of it.

Happy reading, everybody!