A theme is a unifying or dominant idea in a literary work. Steinbeck described the competition between good and evil as the story of humanity itself. He believes that every generation to come since Adam and Eve will now be immersed in the struggle of good and evil due to Eve's curiosity which led to sin, ultimately banning her and Adam from the Garden of Eden. In East of Eden, Steinbeck makes the struggle between good and evil apparent through his contrasting depiction of the setting, the characters' opposing personalities, and the changing morals of society. To show that man is surrounded by good and evil no matter where they are, Steinbeck describes the setting in contrasting ways to represent the good and bad side of nature. He begins the book by describing two mountain ranges. The first he describes are the Gabilan Mountains. These mountains were located in the east, welcoming the start of a new day every morning. They were “bright and cheerful mountains, full of sunshine and beauty” (Steinbeck 3). To the west are the Santa Lucias Mountains. They “guarded the valley from the open sea, and they were dark and brooding – hostile and dangerous” (Steinbeck 3). No matter where a person lived in the valley, they were always surrounded by a “fear of the west and a love of the east” because of these two mountain ranges (Steinbeck 3). Steinbeck also uses a river to describe the theme of good versus evil. During the winters of wet years, the river often overflowed its banks, destroying nearby farms and homes, causing unrest and devastation. However, when spring came, the river narrowed to the limits of its banks, leaving the land fertile and full of new life (Steinbeck 3-4). In the valley, there were two types of years: dry yes...... middle of paper......Ed. Leonard Unger. Flight. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974. LiteratureResource Center. Internet. April 15, 2011.Joseph. “John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation.” John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1963. Rpt. in contemporary literary criticism.Ed. Daniel G. Marowski and Roger Matuz. Flight. 45. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. Literary Resource Center. Internet. April 17, 2011. Owens, Louis. “The story of a writing: narrative structure east of Eden.” Rediscovering Steinbeck: Revisionist Views of His Art, Politics, and Intellect. Ed. Cliff Lewis and Carroll Britch. Edwin Mellen Press, 1989. 60-76. Rep. in contemporary literary criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Flight. 124. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Information Resource Center. Internet. May 1st. 2011. Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.