58 pages • 1-hour read
Great and Precious Things
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Symbols & Motifs
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, and cursing.
The novel East of Eden is a motif throughout Great and Precious Things. Cam considers it his favorite book, and various scenes depict him reading it. In fact, the novel’s title comes from a line in East of Eden: “All great and precious things are lonely” (Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. Penguin Classics, 1992, p. 458). Understanding this allusion is vital to understanding Cam’s character and his relationship with his father. In a pivotal moment in the novel, Willow confronts Arthur about his mistreatment and hatred of Cam, insisting that Cam is lonely, to which Arthur responds, “All great and precious things are lonely” (266). His words emphasize the duality of his relationship with Cam. Despite their conflict, Arthur refers to Cam as “great” and “precious” while understanding Cam’s central flaw: his loneliness. Additionally, the revelation that Arthur read Cam’s favorite book despite “mocking” Cam “for always having [his] nose in a book” is Cam’s first indication that his father truly cares about him (326).
Another line from East of Eden that Great and Precious Things quotes appears when Willow looks through Cam’s copy of the book. She finds the line that Arthur quoted and sees that Cam didn’t highlight it; instead, he marked the next two lines: “‘What is that word again?’ ‘Timshel—thou mayest’” (Steinbeck). The word timshel, interpreted by East of Eden character Lee as “thou mayest,” encompasses the concept of free will. For years, Arthur has blamed Cam for Sullivan’s death—as has Cam himself. Cam repeatedly revisits the moment when he chose to send Sullivan’s squad instead of the other group into danger. However, at the novel’s end, Arthur finally absolves Cam of blame, insisting, “Sullivan made his choice. Xander did, too. We all do. Every day” (364). Just as in East of Eden, the idea of timshel encompasses Great and Precious Things, conveying The Importance of Free Will and Choice as a theme. Cam fights for his father to be able to make his own choice about his body while simultaneously beginning to accept the many choices that led to Sullivan’s death.
Unicorns
A symbol of youth and innocence in the novel, unicorns first appear when Oscar punches Cam in the bar and then Willow takes him up to Charity’s apartment. She gives him an ice pack that has a unicorn on it, noting, “To his credit, Cam didn’t complain as I placed the unicorn on the side of his face” (75). Excited that Cam used her ice pack, Rose buys Cam a T-shirt with a unicorn on it a few weeks later. Although this embarrasses Willow, Cam proudly puts it on, wearing it throughout their date. Then, when Rose tests the two boys she has a crush on by using unicorn pins, Cam happily puts on the rejected pin and wears it for the day. Similarly, Judge Bradley wears a “sparkly unicorn sticker” on his badge during opening day, noting to Willow how Rose “still thinks everything glitters” (269). These words encapsulate the idea of unicorns in the novel: They reflect Rose’s optimism, youth, and happiness.
The fact that Cam repeatedly accepts unicorns from Rose conveys the duality within his character. On the outside, Cam is large, strong, and covered in tattoos, and the town sees him as violent and temperamental. However, Willow has always believed that she knows the real Cam, who has always been kind and compassionate toward her. Him wearing the unicorns symbolizes this hidden side of him and emphasizes the fact that he doesn’t care what others think of him. Beneath his tough façade, he hides a kind, caring nature that allows him to willingly—and proudly—wear the unicorns that Rose gives him.
Chess Pieces
A symbol of Cam and Willow’s relationship, chess pieces appear at multiple points in the novel. The first instance is when Cam notes the bishop in his Jeep upon his return to Alba; another is when Willow sees the rook on her desk at work. Both characters then find and think about various chess pieces throughout the novel, mostly from their childhood when they “decided to steal the pieces so Xander would stop nagging” them to learn how to play (270).
In a significant moment for Willow’s character, she stands up to her father and supports Cam’s plan for the mine, thinking of the chess pieces as she does so. Her “resolve harden[s] from steel to titanium” as she “th[inks] of that little onyx rook on [her] desk. The knight [she] ke[eps] in [her] nightstand drawer. The other pieces [she’s] tucked away, all memories from the boy who st[ands] next to [her now] in a man’s body” (110). In this moment, the chess pieces emphasize The Value of Recognizing the Human Capacity to Change as a theme. For the first time in her life, Willow stands up to her father and begins to care less about what he thinks as the chess pieces—and Cam’s love—give her the support she needs to do so.
Additionally, as Cam and Willow fight over his actions on opening day, she the chess pieces remind her of her love for him. When she goes to see him at his house, she’s unsure whether to leave or speak directly to him about his fight with Oscar. Instead, she leaves a chess piece for him in the greenhouse while he works. When Cam finds it, he notes how he gave her the same piece before he left for the military, “telling her silently that no matter what [he’d] said or done over that shitty summer, she could still depend on [him]” (272). Willow uses the chess piece in a similar manner. She reminds Cam that she loves him no matter what and is waiting for him to talk to her so that they can work through his feelings.
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