CARMEL AND EAST OF EDEN

Early discussions of East of Eden involved themes of good and evil and the role of brotherhood; family dynamics and rejection; the construction of narratives and the identity of the narrator in East of Eden; redemption, memory and forgiveness; contrasts; and timshel or the idea of a personal sense of choice, of free will.  My group talked about guilt and whether free will exists in its purist sense (how our choices might be tangled by the life we are given or the by the choices made by others). 

In the novel, timshel is translated as thou mayest, not thou shalt as it is translated in the King James Bible.  Both groups’ discussions made their way to a Kate.  We struggled with the end of the novel and Kate’s final act.  Was it just another act of evil?  Did she feel remorse (a human emotion)?  If Kate does show form of humanity, if she is not evil, does Cal really have a choice to make?  More to come…

A blog to anticipate: Susan told us there is a good chance we will be able to visit East of Eden ranch!  Stay tuned!

Sharon and Jamie at Merlot's

Today, Jamie Vermaat and I took the bus into Carmel, roamed the streets, and kept our eyes opened for glimpses of Clint Eastwood (no luck).  We discovered that what really determined whether or not we entered a shop, was the smell emanating from within!  Merlot’s ended up being our destination for lunch and it was such a good choice.  Both of us had a salad that was so fresh it tasted like the earth and three-cheese polenta over fresh (really fresh!) vegetables.  It was so good!  Later we drank coffees and ate cannoli’s made with fresh orange zest in a local park.  How many times can I use the word ‘fresh’ in one blog?!

Three-cheese polenta and fresh veggies!  So good!

A Carmel alley

Jamie, in an alley!

Cannoli's in a Carmel park