East of Eden by John Steinbeck incorporates the ideas of love, parental approval, and the meaning behind life fulfillment into a beautifully written novel. The story begins with a man named Cyrus, whose deranged military mind led him to raise his family in a way suited to war. Cyrus' sons, Adam, the protagonist, and Charles, the envious brute of a brother, are pitted against each other for their father's approval. After a difficult childhood, Adam and his brother find themselves with a shocking inheritance from their father. With this Adam takes his beloved wife to California, but his wife Cathy is not happy. Cathy learns of her pregnancy and tries to terminate the life inside her, but fails and gives birth to twins, Cal and Aron. Cathy comes from a demented background, shoots her husband, kills the owner of a brothel and then returns to prostitution. Adam's love for Cathy was not simply physical pleasure, it was a sincere and deep love that one must seek long and hard for. Adam covered up Cathy's attempted murder, and then raised his children casually and without much passion; because without Cathy in his life he fell into a slight depression. As the twins grow, they are pitted against each other for their father's approval in a similar way to that of Adam and Charles. Aron showing more ambition in academia was always favored by Adam. Aron then went to Stanford, while Cal looked for a way to pay Aron's tuition because Adam's fortune was ruined due to a failing business. When Cal came across a large sum of money selling beans, Adam thought his son was doing the wrong thing. With great anger and frustration Cal revealed his mother's dark secrets to Aron. This makes Ar...... in the center of the card... how Aron is also left without the love of his dear Abra. Both Adam and Aron have had their women stolen by their brother. On their wedding night Cathy went to bed with Charles and Cal fell in love with Abra as he showed her the true meaning of timshel. Steinbeck's love story was borderline soap opera, but it showed how the world was full of love alone. A love where many of us are left alone, sometimes we are left alone and empty because the love we have has been given to someone else. Without a doubt, East of Eden will appeal to readers of all ages. The lessons found in love can be found magnified in modern society, and the psychological challenges accompanied by the deprivation of parental love will continue through all ages. Steinbeck gives his readers more than just an interesting plot, he changes the way we look at life.