East of Eden (pg 201-225)

After Cathy shot Adam, the Trask couple is under investigation by deputy sherriff Horace Quinn. For some odd reason, while Adam extends his nose and tries to protect Cathy by concealing the truth and "acting dumb." Meanwhile, Cathy travels to Salinas to answer her true calling and looks for work in one of the three local whorehouses. At first site, Faye, the owner and supervisor of the whore house is astonished that such an "angel-like" girl would want to become a whore. Faye is suspicious of Cathy's motive for wanting to be a whore; however, restrains herself from prying too much. After all she would be shocked if not apalled if she had found out that Cathy had just shot her husband and left behind her two newborn sons. Not wanting to refuse work to whore with high potential, Faye gives her a room. A little later, the deputy sherriff finds Cathy at the whore house and questions her. From the begining Cathy who has changed her name to Kate has been a great asset to the brothel. Faye has also take a greate liking to her.

Why is Adam trying to protect Cathy? Does Adam care about his kids? Why doesn't anyone tell
Adam the truth about Cathy's whereabouts?

East of Eden (pg 176-200)

The true monster that lay in Cathy is finally revealed. A mother who won’t nurse her children, a wife who shoots and leaves her husband- Cathy shows her true colors. When Samuel Hamilton was aiding Cathy in giving birth, the twins popped out like they wanted to be there in the first place. In the process of giving birth, Cathy unyieldingly mauls her helper’s hand and leaves him bleeding with a punctured hand. The Hamiltons play a critical role in the immediate care of the newborns by cleaning and managing the house, nursing the children, and taking care of the couple; Adam shows his gratitude and pays his saviors; however, Cathy repays the Adam by shooting him and the Hamiltons by leaving without a word.

Why doesn’t Cathy care about her children? Is Cathy human? Why did Cathy resent being with Adam so much?

East of Eden (pg 151-175)

False impressions and false love has dragged Adam to Salinas Valley. Now false hope leads him to believe that life in Salinas Valley will be ideal and his farm utopian. In pursuit of his utopian farm, Adam seeks the help of Samuel Hamilton to find some water on the farm. While traveling to and from the Trask farm, Samuel Hamilton is given the opportunity to converse with Adams butler, Lee. From their conversations, Hamilton discovers the manner that is expected of foreigners, the benefits of being a butler, and the true nature of the Trask household. "Pidgin they expect, and pidgin they'll listen to. But English from me they don't listen to, and so they don't understand it." Lee isn't understood by the ignorant unless he puts up the stereotypical front; such expectancies are prevalent today, the nature of contemporaray stereotypes and prejudices demonstrate such expectancies. "But a good servant... can completely control his master, tell him what to think, how to act, whom to marry, when to divorce, reduce him to terror as a discipline, or distribute happiness to him, and finally be mentioned in his will." The professions of butlers and servants are looked upon disdainfully and even condescendingly; however, its position is a powerful one.

Will Lee somehow influence anything in the Trask couple's relationship? Why do people expect certain people to act a certain way? What is pidgin?

East of Eden (pg 126-150)

Knocked up
After fornicating with her brother in law and getting pregnant, Adam and Cathy move to the Salinas Valley where Cathy tries to abort her babies, but is found out and almost sent to jail. Meanwhile, Adam makes friends with the Hamiltons and prospects for places to settle.
In the end Adam purchases a property called the Sanchez place from a man named Bordoni with hopes of creating a utopia for him and his soon to be family.
In this portion of the novel, the Hamiltons come into play. Samuel Hamilton is a brilliant man with endless ideas and skills; however, it seems that he isn't able to make much money. Adam acquaints Samuel at his house and purchases the Sanchez property from his advice. A man of many skills: blacksmithing, carpentering, digging wells, etc, Samuel is almost the handyman of the whole valley.

Why did Adam ever marry Cathy? Why does Samuel Hamilton have such horrible luck? Why doesn't Cathy want any kids?

East of Eden (pg 101-125)

Money, greed, and wealth. The Trask brothers' new found wealth has been constantly tearing the bond of the two Trask brothers apart since Cyrus bequeathed it upon them. While Adam wants to further invest it, Charles wants to make sure that the money was legitimate and that his father had acquired it through lawful methods. Adam is kicked out of the farm, only to come back again a few months after.
Then one day, the Trask brothers find a mysterious girl at their doorstep. Cathy who had recently been beaten up and left for dead dragged herself to the house of the Trasks and again, the Trask brothers quarrel over how to treat her. While Adam adamantly wants to treat her, Charles is hesitant. Through the course of her recovery, Adam takes care of her and Charles resents her being there. In the end, Adam marries her; however, on the night of the wedding, Cathy drugs Adam and sleeps with Charles (what a whore, I hate her and Charles).

Why did Cathy sleep with Charles? Vice versa? Will Adam ever find out about the adultery? Do these people have any morals?

East of Eden (pg 76-100)

Monster. Cathy seemed like she was going to be one of the finest young ladies in town: fair skinned, uniquely bueatiful, and very educated. However, she turned out to be a cold hearted, emotionless creature that had no compassion, even towards her loving parents. Cathy never lived the childhood of an ordinary little girl. She was found half naked in a barn with two boys and her arms tied, she witnessed the corpse of her teacher who had committed suicide with a shotgun; this isn't even the beginning. As the 4th 25 pages of the novel unravels, Cathy shows her true colors: she burns her house down, steals her parents money, and runs off to a whorehouse in search of work. In her plight to find work, Cathy encounters a pimp named Mr. Edwards who funs a successful ring of prostitutes all over the county. Now Mr. Edwards falls in love with Cathy, he sees in her qualities not fitting for a prostitutes, so he keeps her for his own private affairs.

Why did Cathy leave home and become a prostitute? Is Cathy evil? Why or why not? Why is Cathy so cold hearted and callous? Why did Cathy leave her potentially successful life and pursue a career in prostitution?