East of Eden: A Black South African Lens on Steinbeck's 'Monster'
In the new Netflix adaptation of East of Eden, Florence Pugh steps into the role of Cathy Ames, a character John Steinbeck himself branded a “psychic monster” with a “malformed soul.” But this seven-part series, written by Zoe Kazan, dares to ask a question that resonates deeply in a country still reckoning with its own dehumanising history: what happens when we refuse to call anyone simply evil?
Pugh argues the adaptation adds crucial context to Cathy’s story. “She can still make terrible decisions and face awful consequences, but there can also be an understanding of her history and her past which makes her the way that she is,” the Oscar nominee said. It is a framing that challenges the very notion of inherent wickedness, a concept South Africans know all too well was used to justify the brutalities of colonialism and Apartheid.
Why Kazan's Adaptation Rejects Simple Morality
Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film, said the goal was to make every character identifiable. “We wanted our audience to be able to identify with every single character, the ones that are good on the surface and the ones that are evil on the surface,” she explained. “Because if we think about people that are evil or bad as being not human, we don't learn anything about ourselves.”
This is a moral stance with deep political teeth. History has shown that labelling a people as “monsters” is the first step toward dispossessing them. By insisting on the humanity of even Steinbeck’s most villainous figure, the series pushes back against the dehumanising narratives that still underpin global power structures.
A Family Legacy of Betrayal and Reckoning
Kazan’s connection to the material is personal. Her grandfather remains a controversial figure for naming colleagues with Communist Party ties before a congressional committee during the McCarthy era. She describes this inheritance as both “baggage” and a “gift,” but hopes viewers focus on their own histories. “I don't want anyone walking away from this thinking, Zoe Kazan, Elia Kazan,” she said. “We want people walking away from this to think, 'My father, my son, the things that I've done'.”
For a South African audience, this call to introspection lands with particular force. Our own family histories are marked by complicity, resistance, or silence under Apartheid. The series invites us to examine those inheritances without flinching.
Steinbeck's Timeless Themes of Family and Morality
Co-showrunner Jeb Stuart noted that the novel’s themes reveal new meanings at different life stages. “I lost an adult son, so later in life I read it as if I had never read East of Eden before,” he told Reuters. Mike Faist, who plays Charles Trask, added that “we go back to these classics to poke at them again, and that's a good thing.”
This is not merely a literary exercise. It is a political act of reclamation. In a world that still seeks to divide humans into the good and the damned, East of Eden insists on complexity. For Black South Africans, whose humanity was so brutally denied, that insistence is not just art. It is a form of justice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who plays Cathy in the new East of Eden series?
Florence Pugh plays Cathy Ames in the seven-part Netflix limited series.
What is the main theme of the new adaptation?
The series challenges viewers to look beyond simple notions of good and evil, humanising even its most villainous character.
Why is Zoe Kazan connected to East of Eden?
Her grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 film adaptation and remains a controversial figure from the McCarthy era.