As part of my Red Pill journey, one of my goals is to excercise my mind as well as my body. To that end, I'm alternating my reading between books from the side bar and important pieces of literature. At present I'm reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck and I came across a very interesting chapter.

To set this up, Cathy Ames has just approached Mr. Edwards, a local whore-master, about a job. Mr. Edwards, as a matter of sound business, seeks to never employ girls that are too pretty, because they inevitably bring drama to his business.

She was far too pretty for his business. Her voice was low and throaty, she was slight, almost delicate, and her skin was lovely. In a word she was not Mr. Edwards’ kind of girl at all. If he had not been weak he would have rejected her instantly. But...something in Mr. Edwards’ body began to feel her. Mr. Edwards...never mixed his professional life with his private pleasures. His reaction startled him. He looked up, puzzled, at the girl, and her eyelids dipped sweetly and mysteriously, and there was just a suggestion of a sway on her lightly padded hips. Her little mouth wore a cat smile. Mr. Edwards leaned forward at his desk, breathing heavily. He realized that he wanted this one for his own.

Red Pill Symobolism: Loss of Abundance

Going into this interaction, Mr. Edwards had losts about 25-30% of his work force all at once. Something like 8 of his whores had repented do to a new Preacher in town. Previously, he had plenty of whores to satisfy his business needs. He was Abundant. But he has lost his abundance. And now he is a weakened state. He needs new whores and so this girl, that normally would turn away instantly, he has allowed to enter and affect his frame.

and next is what really caught me

“I can’t understand why a girl like you—” he began, and fell right into the oldest conviction in the world—that the girl you are in love with can’t possibly be anything but true and honest.

Red Pill Symbolism: Special Snowflake, Quality Woman

If ever Mr. Edwards had a chance it was now. And indeed a little warning buzz did sound in his brain, but it was not loud enough. About eighty per cent of the girls who came to him needed money to pay off a mortgage. And Mr. Edwards made it an unvarying rule not to believe anything his girls said at any time, beyond what they had for breakfast, and they sometimes lied about that. And here he was, a big, fat, grown-up whoremaster, leaning his stomach against his desk while his cheeks darkened with blood and excited chills ran up his legs and thighs

Red Pill Symbolism: ONEitis

The story continues. In brief, Cathy completely dominates Mr. Edwards. Turns him into major Beta-Bux. He buys her a house, clothes, food, an allowance. She plays him for a fool. Gives him just enough attention, just enough of what he wants, to keep him in line and coming back for more. She goes so far as to changing the locks on the house, so that he can't enter without her allowing it. She never even gives him a key to the house he purchased.

The Chapter is really facinating. I won't spoil the ending of this segment, but it doesn't end well.

Now, I don't think John Steinbeck was quite to the point of saying AWALT, but I think that even he was on to something. Knew something was happening.

Particularly striking was his observation of the oldest conviction in the world

that the girl you are in love with can't possibly be anything but true and honest

This is an amazing segment within the greater book, because while Cathy is a psycopath and Mr. Edwards is a Whore Master, it is representative of the stuggle that all RP'ers are aware of. It's a hyperbolic tale, but in it Cathy's goal is that of protection and security and she consciously uses her sexuality to achieve her goal. Mr. Edwards, as a whore-master, represents the Alpha in all of us. It's a cautionary tale that even the most Alpha can fall into a ONE-itis trap if in a weakened state.