Timshel

Until the last page, the 7th to last word, of East of Eden, I didn't realize how important Timshel was in the novel. While reading the entire book, I thought the theme was how history repeats itself over and over again. I still think that is part of the theme, however now I realize that the true theme is that no matter what you think probably will happen, We have the choice. We can choose how to react to our past and how to frame our future, just like Cal could choose to not be like his mother and Lee could choose to be who he set out to be regardless of his upbringing and nationality. Timshel, or "thou mayest", is a life changing idea that life can be what we want it to be.