In the novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck, one of the main characters, Caleb Trask, continuously struggles with the evil within him. At one point in his life, Caleb is certain that the struggle is a lost cause. This realization was brought about when he found out that his mother was a whore and generally an evil person. Caleb feels that his struggle with evil will be inevitably lost because it has been passed down to him through heredity. Lee, Caleb's servant and friend, tries to help him realize the struggle of Nature versus Nurture. The genes passed down from parents do not necessarily set an individual's temperament and personality as the person has his own morality, free choice and conscience which he acquires and can practice throughout his life.
Morality is the set of rules that one sets for himself, dealing with what is good and what is bad. This set of rules can vary from individual to individual and is not passed down through genes. A child has to be taught what is morally right and what is wrong and this learning process continues throughout life as the individual begins to contemplate more difficult situations. Parents are often a significant contributing factor in their child's morality as they are the ones who
An individual might have the most pure and innocent morality set up in their mind and still be an evil person. Rules do no good if they are not followed. This brings in the point of free choice. Free choice is something every human being is born with. This quality is what allows people to decide between a good or bad action regardless of heredity, pressure from other sources, and circumstances. Lee always told Caleb that everything he did was of his own free choice and to blame his wrongs on heredity was a cowardly reaction. Free choice is a beautiful thing but it bears with it the responsibility of being accountable for your own actions. Everything you do is your personal choice and although your options may seem few, there is always a choice involved. Free choice allows a person to live by his own rules of morality in an attempt at being a good person. The missing piece or question that should now be asked is what makes a person want to choose the response that goes by their personal morality?
Caleb thought there was no hope for him to break free of his haunting genes. He figured that evil was in him and he could not win against it because his mother did not beat the evil within herself. Lee instilled the though in him that he did not have to follow his mother's pattern. He had to make his own choice between good and evil. Lee told him that it was cowardly to blame his wrong decisions on heredity. Caleb had the free choice to use his good morals as his conscience saw fit. Heredity had nothing to do with Caleb's ability of being a good or evil person
Good morals and the freedom of choice are important factors in being a good pers
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