How East of Eden Changed Me by Eboni

How East of Eden Changed Me by Eboni - May 2017 Scholarship Essay

When thinking of a novel like East of Eden, typically most people's first thoughts would be on all of the negativity that occurs throughout. The novel is filled with lives lived with regret and fallen hopes and dreams, but the message I received was much more than that.
Of all the stories told throughout the novel, Cathy's seemed to resonate with me the most. I mean, I am nothing like her; she is an absolute evil being, but deep down you can tell there is a soul there. The reason Cathy's story sticks with me is because it opened my eyes to see that there are real people in this world who will freely use and abuse you if you allow them to do so. This was an important realization for me because I am a very nice and passive person, and I am sure people do things to me that maybe they can not get away with other people. I never want to be an Adam, a person that lets someone step all over me because I believe there is good deep down.
This book has taught me how to be more confident, in a weird way. It forced me to look around at all of the 'friends' that I had and realize who was really there for me and who was just another Cathy in disguise.