East of Eden Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. What happened to Cathy's parents, and what significance did this have on the plot? Who was involved in these scenes, and what did these events symbolize?

2. Courage and fear were two attributes that were seen a number of times in this book. Where did they appear, and how did the presence of these feelings change the characters who were involved in those scenes?

3. Cal had an important choice to make after meeting his mother. What was this choice, how did he make his decision, and how did this decision affect...
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