East of Eden XII -- The Trasks: Family Drama

Back to the Trasks.  In chapter 10 we get a glimpse of daily life now that they've settled into it since the wrapping up of the Cyrus-is-dead details, and we see the funny side of family dramatics: two entirely and otherwise non-dramatic people acting like bickering school girls (no offense to all you school girls out there) when they're alone.  I mean, come on, they have a little spat at breakfast over crumbs in the butter and Charles says, "You better get off the place."  So what does Adam do?  He leaves.  For EIGHT MONTHS!  Ugh, drama!  And it's not just these two brothers.  This behavior is real and everywhere.  Raise your hand if you act like this with your family or significant other, regardless of how you are with other people.  And I'm raising my hand: I would probably totally make fun of myself if I saw through another's eyes some of the ridiculous dramatics my wife and I engage in and over the stupidest things.  WHY DO WE DO THIS?  To the Trasks' credit, they survive two years (after passing of the eight months) before their next fight, but that's not the last one either.  Notice (and it's the final question anyway) what it takes to finally bring down the flames.

Reading Questions
Chapter 10.1

1. "Two men alone are constantly on the verge of fighting, and they know it."
2. "You don't have to get up.  But if you're going to farm, you'd better farm."  (I love the exchanged between Adam and Charles.)
3. "I bet you get up because you want to, and then you take credit or it--like taking credit for six fingers."  You all know someone like this.

Chapter 10.2

1. Adam: "Every morning in the army that damned bugle would sound.  And I swore to God if I ever got out I would sleep till noon every day.  And here I get up a half-hour before reveille.  Will you tell me, Charles, what in hell we're working for?"  And Charles says: " You can't lay in bed and run a farm."  These are the words Charles says, but they're not really a viable answer.  What are they working for?

Chapter 10.3

1. Summary of the brothers' existence, from Charles: "I can just see it all over again.  You'll stay around a year or so and then you'll get restless and you'll make me restless.  We'll get mad at each other and then we'll get polite to each other--and that's worse.  Then we'll blow up and you'll go away again, and then you'll come back and we'll do it all over again."
2. "There were no borders to time so that it seemed endless passing."
3. Why doesn't Charles want Adam to build a new house?  He keeps saying, "I'll buy you out."  What's his problem?
4. Why is Charles so happy to hear that Adam was a "jailbird?"  And what about this revelation leads to the evident peace at the end of the chapter?