Cycle One: Glued

John Steinbeck. Oh my, is he a writer! I am quite ashamed to know that it took me this long to understand why people for many years say his name with awe. His writing is so easy to read and yet so interesting and engaging. I had no trouble flipping through pages, chapters, and pushed myself to find out what happens. More than the story, I think the characters are very well made. When I say well-made, I don't mean that they are likeable people; rather, I wish to never meet most of them in my life! However, they portray variety of aspects of the world, and I feel guilty for admitting that I can't help but wonder what other crimes each character will commit. (Especially Cathy. She is such a character!) It struck me during class when my fingers were lingering on the cover, wanting to find out what happens next. I am really glad I chose this book. Pat pat, good job Sun.

I want to share with you some of the main characters. Charles, Adam, Mr. Edwards, Cathy, Lee, and Samuel are the ones I remember as of now. I would spit out what happened detail by detail, but I don't want to spoil the fun. I'm just going to say that Steinbeck does a great job of transforming a certain character from an amiable person to a sudden murderous villain, and change him back to a sane, ordinary person again! By doing so, he depicts an image of sin and how a monster is within everyone, whether it be jealousy, or just their cold nature. Cathy, though, is what makes this book so interesting to read. She is causing the demise of virtually all characters. Her beauty captivates most of the main male characters, from kind Adam to Mr. Edwards. She really is a demon, and though I despise her for her detestable actions and lies, it is what keeps me glued to this book. From the beginning, I could predict very easily who she was going to prey on and how it was going to end. In the beginning, I have guessed her to split Charles and Adam's brotherly bond that they've managed to make by captivating both. Though it wasn't quite accurate, she did break the brothers apart, and led Adam to his ultimate end. (I found this highly ironic, as Adam had fallen from his wife, Eve, as well.) She also captivated the good old Samuel, and I have a feeling that something will happen.

One thing I did not like about the story was when the narrator suddenly bursts in and stops the flow. It just made me stop wanting to read on, because it was not what the narrator thought that I wanted to know about, but what the characters were going to do and how they were going to interact with one another. However, I guess he establishes ethos by saying he is related to the Hamiltons. Still, I hope he doesn't come out too often.

Though he scripted many themes and messages in this book, I believe I understand less than 5% of what he has put in. However, one of the things he got me to think was the idea of monster. He wrote, "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents. Some you can see, misshapen and horrible, with huge heads...no arms, no legs...three arms...tails... They are accidents and no one's fault, as used to be thought. And just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? To a man born without conscience, a soul-stricken man must seem ridiculous. To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous." (Steinbeck, 71)

The narrator is referring Cathy to a monster, despite her perfect physical appearance. I have always thought the same way as he did, where in other books, the term "monster" refers to their outer appearance rather than how they think or act. This concept still carries on in today's society, where people with odd appearances are neglected, whereas beauty is idolized and misunderstood as innocence and purity. However, if one really looks inside, the monsters often have very tender hearts and if they are at all vicious and cold, it is from the wound of the society's outcast, not because they are naturally evil. It also occurred to me that every one possess a monster, where it could easily be suppressed from their loving environment, or easily be sprouted into a villain. It makes me wonder then, is Cathy a true monster? She was raised under loving parents, yet she has grown into a monster who takes advantages of others and ends up killing her parents and many more for her own benefit. I have no idea why she is doing what she is doing, and wonder if she was after all born with invisible flaws, where her beauty hides them all.

I have just read up to the point where Adam marries Cathy and leave Charles. I have just read about Samuel and Lee, and I'll get back to you to let you know what I think of Cathy. Hopefully she changes her mind and repay Adam's forever love and kindness. (Or, Adam could suddenly not be blinded by Cathy's beauty and realize that he is very foolish. But, of course, that is highly unlikely to happen.)