I have just finished reading 'East of Eden' by John Steinbeck. It's my second reading and a better one, because I took my time and read it properly, thinking about it as I went, sucking the marrow, so to speak.
I am struck by the similarity of Hoburn's philosophy in 'The Last Visible Dog' and the idea explored by Steinbeck of guilt, right and wrong, personal growth and personal accountability vs. fate, etc.
When I revisited my ex once, he had a note on his fridge 'If it's to be, it's up to me'. It doesn't matter that this seemed a new idea for him, something he had to remind himself. Some of us are helped by parenting and circumstance to know this, to have incorporated it, and others not.
These are different ways of seeing the same idea.
The older I get, the more I am disquieted by the idea of atonement. I am uncomfortable with the notion of karma. These, to me, smack of childish superstition. I feel 'forgiveness of sins' is not useful. They all remove personal accountability and the incentive, even necessity, for personal growth.
Here is one summary of 'East of Eden'. It's a nicely crafted story, gritty, graceful. Allegorical. Great Steinbeck.
I completely agree with your last paragraph. I haven't read the book, but there's an excellent movie by the same name starring James Dean (a brilliant actor who only made--I think--three movies before he died) and Lee J Cobb. Last night, for what it's worth, my wife and I watched another excellent movie, this one in Japanese. It's called "The Funeral," and the extras that came on the DVD added much to it.
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