The American Dream in John Steinbecks East of Eden :: East of Eden Essays

The American Dream in East of Eden It is what every American strives for in life, but no one ever seems to achieve fully; it is the hopes and aspirations of every American, yet rarely are these goals ever met. It is the American Dream. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck displays different aspects of the American Dream through the desires and wishes of each character. Though each character in East of Eden may have a slightly different idea of what the American Dream is, becoming rich and wanting a better life for one's children seem to be a common thread in the lives of Faye and Cathy, Adam, and Cyrus. Becoming rich and financially stable is arguably the most important part of the American Dream. Every character seems to think it important, even those who do not have a lot of money. Faye obtains her wealth by running a successful whore house. When adopting Cathy as her daughter, Faye tells her, "I--no, we--have cash and securities in excess of sixty thousand dollars. In my desk are notations of accounts and safe-deposit boxes. I sold the place in Sacramento for a very good price" (233). Upon hearing this news, Cathy knows that her act of being daughterly has worked and she will inherit a lot of money. Being financially secure is important to both of them and they think it is the only way for them to enjoy the pleasures of life. Adam Trask is also a strong believer that money is the only way for one to live a life of luxury. When inheriting the money form his father, Cyrus, Adam is anxious to spend the money to build a better life for his brother and himself. While his brother is skeptical, Adam decides that he should move west in order to buy a nice farm to raise a family on. Upon his arrival at Salinas, Adam is willing to pay whatever it takes to buy the best plot of land. Only with money would this have been possible and would he be happy. Cyrus Trask believes that money makes a better life, too. If he did not think this, he would not have thought it important to leave his