“If you can believe in saints, you can believe that somebody can be all good, you’ve got to believe that somebody can be all bad.” – John Steinbeck

As I read the book “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, I admit that at first, I felt that I am just being obligated because I need it for my term paper. But as soon as I start reading the book it seems that I am reading a modern version of the “Book of Genesis.” Curiosity arouses, when the characters unfolds the mystery of their identity especially when I encounter the character of Cathy Ames later known as Cathy Trask, the character that leaves an impression, the character whom Steinbeck represents as Satan in the story.

Cathy Ames is described by the author as a monster, a devil trap in a child’s figure, in a face of innocence. She renders an appearance of a fragile, angel like beauty. But even though she possesses this kind of appearance, people around her sense that something is wrong about her, there is something strange about her whole being, something dangerous that no one can decipher. Now, let us get to the point on how the character of Cathy Ames becomes a representation of Satan. Let me enumerate the points based to my own perception that could attest to her as a representation of Satan in the Story.

Lust

When Cathy was ten years old lust overtook her. Her sexual drive was so strong and she let herself swoon by it. She planned carefully on how to rape herself to indulge her lust. When she was playing with two boys she gave them a rope and gave them instructions to tie her and do something immoral to her sexuality in exchange for a penny she will give to them.

Lie

When Cathy’s mother caught her being tied and seems like being molested by her two playmates her mother was mortified. Cathy then acts very shock to the situation as if she was the victim. The boys were punished by their parents though they tell them that it was all Cathy’s plan. No one believe the boys, but Cathy’s father sense something that is wrong about the situation and could not voice it out to her wife who was blinded by their daughter’s lies, he was just felt sorry for the boys who was sent to the house of correction for the things they did not do.

Murder

Cathy her commits murder not just a simple murder but killing her own parents as if it is an accident. Her mother told her to pick up the money in the bank before her mother went to the Altar Guild. She happily follows her order, but before she does, she chopped a little pullet and drained its blood in a jar and hid it in the kitchen, she then through an apron into the stove and poked the coals until it flames sprung into the cloth. And when her parents got back to the house a fire broke out, her parents died while she got all the money and went far away.

Prostitution

After Cathy escape from murdering her parents he meet Mr. Edwards a whore master. She then called herself as Catherine Amesbury and wanted to join Mr. Edwards as a prostitute but then the whore master hesitated because her appearance does not fit to become a prostitute. She then craft a make-believe story about her father who died and leave them a vast amount of debt that leads her to seek for a job leaving her no option but to become a prostitute. And here, Cathy’s physical relationship with the whore master started.

Sleeping with her husband’s brother

Here, Cathy meets the Trask brother, Adam who admires her and fall in love with her, and Charles who hates her presence. Adam Trask soon decides to marry her and on the night of their wedding Cathy put a sleeping pill to his coffee and fell asleep. She then went to Charles chamber, his husband’s brother and tempts him, and they embrace the temptation of sin.

Attempted murder to an Unborn Child

Adam decides to take Cathy to Salinas Valley where they could start a wonderful life and begin a family. In their journey, Cathy used a knitting needle to poison herself, inserted camphor, kerosene and red pepper knowing that she is pregnant with Charles. Fortunately, the doctor arrives on time and condemns her to what she almost done to her unborn baby. But knowing Cathy, she then creates a story about her family having epilepsy and she is afraid that her baby might catch the same illness.

Child Abandonment, Deception and Cruelty

A few weeks later, after Cathy gave birth to twin baby boy she decided to leave them to her husband because she does not want a baby in the first place. Adam gets confused about her wife’s action and decided to lock her to her room. Cathy was outraged and plan to lure Adam to get her freedom. She then pretends as if she was sorry about saying that she will leave them. Adam was deceived by her word, upon unlocking the room Cathy in her right-hand held his.44 Colt, and the black hole in the barrel pointed at him. He took a step toward her, saw that the hammer was back. She shot him. The heavy slug struck him in the shoulder and flattened and tore a piece of his shoulder-blade.

Decline for Self-Atonement and Suicide

As the story comes to an end Cathy declines to repent on the monstrous, devious and wicked ways she did from the day she commit the act of immorality until her last breathe after committing suicide.

Many readers who have read the story do not believe that a person like Cathy Trask would exist but as what Steinbeck stated if we believe in saints we can believe that a person can be all good and we should believe that a person can also be all bad. To further understand the character of Cathy Trask read the book of East of Eden by John Steinbeck and meet the undecipherable woman who represents as Satan.