East of Eden Chapters 5-14 Quiz

Questions and Answers

How many children does Samuel have?

Nine

What are the names of Samuel's children?

George, Will, Tom, Joe, Una, Lizzie, Dessie, Olive, and Mollie

How would you describe George?

Sinless boy with pernicious anemia

How would you describe Will?

Lots of energy, but little imagination. Very conservative and hard-working. Couldn't help making money. Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Tom?

Most like his father as he was just as inventive, but more bold. Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Joe?

Horrid at everything, and very lazy, so he got out of doing anything. Therefore, he's being sent to college. Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Una?

Thoughtful, studious, brooding Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Lizzie?

The oldest, bitter, and moralistic, very much like her mother. Married young and left home, never to be seen but at funerals. Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Dessie?

Fun loving girl who wants to become a dressmaker. Contagious laugh and socialite Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Olive?

She's the narrator's mother. She was a teacher, and therefore of a superior social class. She was courageous, close-minded, loving, firm, and intuitive. Signup and view all the answers

How would you describe Mollie?

The little beauty. Youngest child, and therefore most coddled. Predicted to marry rich. Signup and view all the answers

What more do you find out about Samuel?

Thorough reader, creative drawer, full of hope, and one that some of his plans work out. Signup and view all the answers

How does Charles spend his time at the farm?

Routinely doing laborious work, and enjoying the inn Signup and view all the answers

How does Charles feel about Adam coming home?

Excited. He cleans the entire house for him. Signup and view all the answers

How does Charles get his scar?

Trying to move a boulder from a ditch with a pipe while mad at Adam for not coming home. Signup and view all the answers

Who else has a scar and what is significant about this?

Cat, Charles, and Cathy. Everyone with a C name has a scar. Signup and view all the answers

How does Adam feel about the inn?

Disinterested Signup and view all the answers

What is Cyrus?

Secretary of War Signup and view all the answers

What happens to Cyrus, and what is found out?

He dies of galloping phenomena. In the telegraph declaring his death, Charles and Adam find out his death, that they each split $100,000, and that the Vice President was at the funeral, and the President sent a wreath. Signup and view all the answers

What does Charles find, and how does it affect his opinion of Cyrus?

He finds Cyrus's six month discharge papers. He believes Cyrus was a liar and embezzled the money he and Adam inherited. Signup and view all the answers

What does Adam feel about money?

He doesn't really care about it. Signup and view all the answers

How would Cathy be described?

Manipulative, a prostitute from a young age, and unloving. Signup and view all the answers

What is Mr. Edwards?

The whoremaster of Charles's enjoyed inn. Signup and view all the answers

What does champagne do to Cathy?

Makes her angry and shows her true self. Signup and view all the answers

How does Adam feel about Cathy?

Loves her to the point where he doesn't see her. Signup and view all the answers

How does Charles feel about Cathy?

Hates her because he relates to her, and can see she's evil. Signup and view all the answers

How does Cathy feel about Charles?

She knows he sees straight through her and is wary yet slightly attracted to him. Signup and view all the answers

How long is Adam in his second reenlistment?

5 years Signup and view all the answers

What does Adam do after his second reenlistment?

He becomes a hobo. Signup and view all the answers

What organization scorns hobos?

The I.W.W Signup and view all the answers

What is a dangerous animal when scared?

Man Signup and view all the answers

What is Charles's telegraph identity question?

What did you give father for his birthday right before you went to the army? Signup and view all the answers

What does love do?

Makes people suspicious. Signup and view all the answers

What is Cathy?

A monster born into a human body. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about the narrator saying the writers of stories are liars?

He calms himself a liar. Signup and view all the answers

What does Mr. Ames believe in?

Ignorance is bliss. Signup and view all the answers

What connection do Cathy and Adam have pertaining to their childhoods?

They had two people they knew commit suicide. Signup and view all the answers

How does Cathy start the fire?

Leaves her apron in the stove on fire. Signup and view all the answers

How does Cathy get away with murdering her parents?

She frames an abduction with chicken blood and leaves her blue hair ribbon behind. Signup and view all the answers

Where does Cathy get the money for Boston?

In her father's safe he had shown her only a few days before. Signup and view all the answers

What was the law designed to do?

Save, not destroy. Signup and view all the answers

What's the name for a smart whore?

Courtesans. Signup and view all the answers

What odd thing did the whores do when whipped?

Begged for more, because they were stupid enough to believe they needed it. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about Cathy's relationship to Mr. Edwards and her profession?

She might be a whore, but she's actually faithful to Mr. Edwards through the career. Signup and view all the answers

What was love to a man like Mr. Edwards?

Crippling. Signup and view all the answers

What triggers Mr. Edwards to know about Cathy's true background?

A newspaper clipping about the fire in Cathy's hometown. Signup and view all the answers

What emotion does Cathy first feel when she is beat by Mr. Edwards?

Fear. Signup and view all the answers

Two men living alone are constantly on the verge of what?

Fighting. Signup and view all the answers

What makes Adam leave Charles the first time?

The issue about Cyrus's money, and how Charles got jelly on the butter. Signup and view all the answers

What makes Adam leave Charles the second time?

Adam's restlessness about California. Signup and view all the answers

What pattern does Charles recognize with Adam?

They'll fight for three to four weeks, which will get Adam ready to go away. Signup and view all the answers

What does Charles say about housing Cathy?

They'll both suffer for it. Signup and view all the answers

What is wrong about keeping Cathy in the Trask house?

It will look like they beat her up. Signup and view all the answers

What does Cathy tell both Adam, Charles, and the officer?

She can't remember who she is. Signup and view all the answers

How does Charles concern Cathy?

He lies about her spilling her secrets in her sleep. Signup and view all the answers

What does Cathy tell Adam?

She lied about forgetting who she was because she's trying to protect her father. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about the story Cathy tells Adam?

He came up with it. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Cathy marry Adam?

Security of someone who loves her for no reason, money, and safety. Signup and view all the answers

Where is Mr. Edwards' suitcase found?

In Alex Platt's property. Signup and view all the answers

What does Cathy do on her wedding night?

Drugs Adam and sleeps with Charles. Signup and view all the answers

What did the turn of the century mean to people?

An opportunity to get away from the war and return to the good old days before then. Signup and view all the answers

What is Cathy to Adam?

His glory. Signup and view all the answers

What is the most valuable thing in the world?

The exploration of the individual human mind. Signup and view all the answers

We are lost if what is killed?

Glory. Signup and view all the answers

Where do Cathy and Adam go?

King City, California, near Salinas Valley. Signup and view all the answers

Cathy tries to do what with sewing pins?

Kill her and Charles' son. Signup and view all the answers

What does Cathy tell the doctor when he asks why she was trying to kill her child?

She said she had Epilepsy. Signup and view all the answers

How would the Bordonis land be described?

Supplied by an ever-running spring, the Sanchez house was placed along foothills. Signup and view all the answers

Who takes Adam to see Samuel, and why?

Louis Lippo, to ask him about the Bordonis land and if it could produce a good well. Signup and view all the answers

What did you have to do back then to not insult the house?

Stay for dinner. Signup and view all the answers

What is Lippo's opinion of Samuel?

He thinks he's a fine worker, good blacksmith, and a man where few plans work out. Signup and view all the answers

What does Adam bring Samuel?

Whiskey. Signup and view all the answers

Where are the Hamilton kids when Adam arrives?

At a dance at the Peach Tree schoolhouse. Signup and view all the answers

How does Tom get to the dance?

Chains a sofa to a doubletree, and has horses pull it to the dance. Signup and view all the answers

What are Lippo's and Samuel's opinions about killing a man you don't know?

Samuel thinks it must be hard, while Lippo thinks it might make it easier. Signup and view all the answers

What does Samuel think about the Valley?

He thinks there's a dark violence. Signup and view all the answers

What was the schoolhouse for the community?

A place for meeting, music, debate, and social gatherings. Signup and view all the answers

What spurs Olive to fight the Germans?

The death of Martin Hopps. Signup and view all the answers

What did Olive do for the army?

Was a nurse in the armory for a time, then sold lots of stuff as Liberty bonds. Signup and view all the answers

What did Olive get as a reward for her services to the army?

At first letters from the Secretary of Treasury, then prizes such as a German helmet, a piece of shrapnel, and a bayonet. Signup and view all the answers

What ironic thing happens when Olive goes into the airplane?

She thinks she's going to die, and at the nervous glance of the pilot, she thought they were going to crash. Signup and view all the answers

What is ironic about Olive's gift of an airplane ride?

She didn't believe in airplanes and was terrified of them. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Samuel Hamilton's Family

Samuel fathered nine children: George, Will, Tom, Joe, Una, Lizzie, Dessie, Olive, and Mollie.
Each child possesses distinct traits; for example, George is sinless but suffers from pernicious anemia, while Will is energetic yet unimaginative.
Una is thoughtful and studious, contrasting with the fun-loving and social Dessie, who aspires to be a dressmaker.

Character Traits and Dynamics

Cathy is depicted as manipulative and unloving, having a past as a young prostitute.
Adam Trask is overwhelmed by love for Cathy to the point of blindness to her flaws, while Charles recognizes her evil nature and despises her.
Charles bears a distinctive scar resulting from a fit of anger directed at Adam, which reflects underlying familial tensions.

Charles and Adam's Relationship

The brothers share a tumultuous relationship marked by periods of conflict, with Adam ultimately feeling restless and leaving Charles to pursue broader horizons.
Charles expresses excitement at Adam's return home but also struggles with jealousy and emotional scarring eternally linked to their father, Cyrus.

The Legacy of Cyrus

Cyrus serves as the Secretary of War but dies unexpectedly, leaving a significant inheritance to Adam and Charles.
Doubts arise when Charles finds discharge papers that lead him to believe Cyrus was deceptive about his military service.

Cathy's Manipulations and Deceptions

Cathy compounds her troubles by orchestrating a fire that results in her parents' deaths and framing them as an abduction.
She marries Adam for security, despite her true motives being selfish and unloving.
On their wedding night, she drugs Adam and betrays him with Charles, emphasizing her deceptive nature.

Themes of Violence and Suspicion

The narrative explores the idea that love breeds suspicion, showcasing how those who are loved tend to doubt their partners.
Cathy is described metaphorically as a "monster born into a human body," underscoring her malevolence.
Samuel observes a darkness in the Valley, symbolizing internal and external conflict.

Olive's Contributions

Olive Hamilton's commitment to support the war effort arises after the death of a local man, showcasing themes of sacrifice.
She serves as a nurse and participates in fundraising campaigns, earning accolades such as military memorabilia and an airplane ride.
Ironically, Olive, who fears flying, finds herself in an airplane experiencing something far different than her expectations.

Cultural Reflections

The schoolhouse serves as a crucial hub for community interaction, emphasizing its importance in social and cultural gatherings.
Different perspectives on violence and morality are highlighted through characters like Samuel and Lippo, who debate the ethics of killing.
The narrative foregrounds individuals’ struggles against societal expectations and personal demons, reflecting the broader human condition.

Significance of Human Exploration

The exploration of the human mind is posited as the most valuable pursuit, indicating a theme of self-discovery and understanding throughout the novel.
The central connection stems from familial bonds and conflicts that shape identity and influence individual paths toward fulfillment or failure.

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Test your knowledge on Chapters 5-14 of 'East of Eden' with these flashcards. Each card covers key characters, their attributes, and family names. Challenge yourself to recall important details about Samuel and his children.