A story is about a made up person in a made up place going through made up events. So why should I even care to read it? In order to add a sense of meaning and purpose to a novel, an author must add a relationship to something with which I can connect. In the novel East of Eden, author John Steinbeck successfully connects these make believe situations with stories that I, as a reader, can follow. Biblical allusions are woven throughout the novel to add to the richness of the text and to allow readers to connect with the story through a source that much of the intended audience has known for most of their entire life.

One of the most fundamental stories in the Bible, that of Cain and Abel, is recreated twice, but in two different manners. In East of Eden, Charles angrily recalls how...