East of Eden is also rooted in the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the elder, becomes a farmer and Abel, a shepherd. When they make an offering to God, Cain offers produce from his fields, and Abel offers young lambs. God prefers Abel's gift of true sacrifice, incurring Cain's anger and jealousy. God tells Cain to take control of his sinful nature, introducing the concept of timshel, or the ability to avoid sin through choice. However, he refuses and lures his brother to the fields where he kills him. The character of Samuel Hamilton claims that humanity is haunted by these two stories—original sin and Cain and Abel. Both are stories of human response to fear—the fear of not knowing and the fear of rejection, which often cause people to act with anger, hatred, or violence. The stories and their themes are the inheritance of humanity, and each new generation much choose how to respond—with anger and violence or with something new. Charles's unfinished killing of Adam transfers to Cal and Aron for resolution. And, although Cal destroys Aron, he cannot blame his actions on Cathy's evil bloodline. This destruction is not the inevitable fate of humanity. Each generation is given the choice to resolve the story differently.