east of eden

I am reading John Steinbeck's epic East of Eden. I wanted to feel like I was in an English class again, so if anyone wants to discuss the themes with me and contemplate the Biblical references I'd love it. Here's a quote to ponder. The story takes place in the early 1900s and this quote is from a servant:

"I don't know where being a servant came into disrepute. it is the refuge of a philosopher, the food of the lazy, and, properly carried out, it is a position of power, even of love. I can't understand why more intelligent people don't take it as a career-learn to do it well and reap its benefits. A good servant has absolute security, not because of his master's kindness, but because of habit and indolence. It's a hard thing for a man to change spices or lay out his own socks. He'll keep a bad servant rather than change. But a good servant, and I am an excellent one, can completely control his master, tell him what to think, now to act, whom to marry, when to divorce, reduce him to terror as a discipline, or distribute happiness to him, and finally be mentioned in his will...My master will defend me, protect me. You have to work and worry, I work less and worry less."

I have no experience living with or working with "servants" I guess there are maintenance people at work who clean, deliver mail and take out the trash, but it's not quite the same as what people were used to 100 years ago.

food for thought.