East of Eden (51-75)

After being discharged from the cavalry, Adam wanders around the country living the life of a hobo. Charles diligently takes care of the farm and Cyrus passes away. It would turn out that Cyrus had become a very rich man. With around $100,000, Adam and Charles are caought in a constant struggle to determine what should be done with the money. While Charles is reluctant to do anything with the money, Adam's unwavering desire to take the money and settle in California traps them in constant bickering.
Aside from the continuation of the Trask story, a new character, Catherine Ames is introduced into the story as ... a monster. On the surface, Cathy is the as innnocent and pretty as any little girl. However, she lies for no good and was caught half naked in a barn with two boys.

Will the Trask brothers and Cathy ever meet? What can be expected of Cathy in the future? How can a girl be so tainted at such a young age?

East of Eden (pg 26-50)

This is one screwed up family. The father doesn't have a leg. His first wife drowned herself in a puddle of water a few inches deep. And now, the younger son has attempted to murder to his older half brother. Sounds like a 19th century soap opera. In the 2nd 25 pages of East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Charles' resentment towards Cyrus' unbalanced affection is revealed. Because it seems that Cyrus loves Adam more, Charles beats Adam to a pulp and attempts to kill him. However, his attempt fails and Adam is enlisted in the cavalry within 3 days. Cyrus leaves the farm to work for the government and Adam slaughters Indians for a living while Charles is left slaving at the farm. While working on the farm, Charles accidentally inflicts a wound upon himself which produces a growing scar on his forhead while Adam meets a bartender with a similar scar. Interesting...

What is the significance of the scar on the forehead of Charles and the forehead of the bartender Adam befriends? Do you think Adam has changed after his military service? Will Adam return to the farm?

East of Eden (pg 1-25)

In a seemingly peaceful and serene place called Salinas Valley is a lattice of tightly knit households in a small community. I this valley, those with fertile land are rich and those without are poor. In the first 25 pages of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, many families are portrayed and their familial histories shuffled. In the midst of looking through such familial histories, dark pasts unfold: a mother/wife drowns herself in a puddle of water not a foot deep. So far, the focus of the book are the Hamilton and Trask families. The Hamiltons have a surplus of kids and the Trasks have two sons which in a sense resemble Cain and Abel. "Chstlrd moved close and struck him in the face with his bat...swung his bat and hit him in the ribs...swung at his head and knocked him out. And as Adam lay unconscious on the ground, Charles kicked him heavily in the stomach and walked away" (pg 23). Maybe just a bit brutal for beating him in a game of peewee, the younger, beat the older brother because he won one lousy game. In addition to enduring such beatings, Adam will be forced to join the military while Charles the violent one won't be forced to join the military.

Will this relationship between brothers eventually lead to fratricide? Being the elder brother, should Adam put Charles in his place? Why will Adam and not Charles be forced to join the military?

The Things They Carried

A vivid depiction of the brutality of the Vietnam War on the psyches of the American soldiers that fought in it. In The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien reveals the intangible burdens that the soldiers of the Vietnam War carried. In retrospect, Tim O'Brien discovers the causes of the demise of his fellow comrades in civilian life. By portraying scenes where soldiers explode a puppy and shoot a water buffalo calf to death without feeling a bit of remorse, Tim O'Brien demonstrates the plight of the American soldiers are they struggle to stay sane and find the will to fight on. This book was very intriguing because it addressed aspects of war that are usually looked over. When people think of war, they think of bullets, blood, and death; however the ability to perceive such brutality and stay sane is what tests a soldeir's tenacity and will.

Argument: Although physical capability keeps one's body intact in a war, one's adaptability and strength of mind is what keeps one sane and functioning properly.

Question: As a teenage student, do you carry any intangible burdens?