East of Eden- question

[rufustfirefly]

I just read this novel for the first time. I would love to hear an opinion on the following question : Why didn't Steinbeck write a confrontation scene between Charles and Adam in the latter stages of the book? I thought it was a bad "loose end ".

[dfloyd]

The two sets of brothers Charles and Adam plus Adams two sons Cal and Aron, who are probably the sons of Charles, are by allusion and even the initials of their names living out the biblical story of Cain and Able. Steinbeck's novel was at first criticized as being heavy handed with the biblical allusions in the 1950s, but since then, East of Eden has become recognized as Steinbeck's best work and makes Steinbeck deserving of his Nobel prize. To have a confrontation between Charles and Adam would have been premature and out of sync with the revelation of Cal to Aron who there mother was. This is the real confrontation of the novel, leading to Aron joining the army and his premature death.