demeanor. Pandora Cathy also takes on the Pandora persona from classic Greek mythology. The story goes that Zeus gave Pandora a box and commanded her not to open it. She ultimately disobeys and when she opens the box, she sets loose evil into the world. In an academic article from The Explicator, Rebecca Barnes compares Cathy to Pandora in that her “broken box brings disaster” wherever she goes. In the novel Cathy harms or destroys every life she touches: she murders her parents, drives her Latin teacher to commit suicide, shoots her husband, poisons her benefactress, and sadistically abuses (and later blackmails) countless men as a prostitute. Psychoanalysis In Stephen George's article “The Emotional Content of Cruelty”, he writes that Cathy embodies hatred and fear, which he argues are the main motivators behind human cruelty. He writes that Cathy fears losing control in any way; for example, she refuses to drink because alcohol brings out her true nature. Her method of controlling her environment comes in the form of paranoia, which is manifested by her desire to manipulate men sexually. The hatred she feels in effect subdues her fear so that she feels superior to those she manipulates. In her essay “No Sanctuary”, Sarah Aguiar writes that Cathy's actions are due to a perversion of human virtues such as compassion and love. Aguiar explains this deficiency is due to Cathy's “child-like egocentricity...the desperate need...to protect herself at all costs.” Steinbeck further comments in his East of Eden letters that Cathy is in part evil because her “life is one of revenge on other people because of a vague feeling of her own lack.” Film adaptations Actress Jo Van Fleet won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Cathy Ames in the 1955 film adaptation of East of Eden. In 1982, Jane Seymour received a Best Actress Golden Globe award for her portrayal of Cathy Ames in the ABC mini-series adaptation of East of Eden. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Seymour commented that “there is nothing greater than playing evil incarnate. It is wonderful! It is an amazing experience, because you climb into a spirit or a soul that you have no idea you know, you can't even imagine it.” References John Steinbeck Characters in American novels of the 20th century Fictional prostitutes Fictional murderers Fictional con artists Literary characters introduced in 1952 Fictional suicides Fictional