Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘East of Eden,’ the question of good and evil lingers over the members of the Trask family. The focus is on the Trask brothers, first Adam and Charles, and then Aron and Cal, who seem doomed to repeat the biblical story of Cain and Abel. While their conflicts are innate to some extent, drama is also stirred by Cathy Ames‘ presence. The two generations of Trask brothers are torn apart by the influence she continues to hold over them, even as she runs away to live her life her own way. Her journey outside the Trasks also takes up a significant part of the story, with one whole episode dedicated to how she enters a brothel owned by a woman named Faye and takes it over with patience and ease that emphasize her cold, calculating, evil nature. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Faye’s Fate Was Sealed the Day Cathy Walked In
When she leaves Adam and her sons and comes to Salinas, she returns to sex work. She knows there are three brothels in town, but she chooses to go to Faye’s because of the reputation of its owner as an agreeable woman who is known not to have caused any trouble. The other two brothels are run by women who have been in the town and the business for a long time, which means they will be less vulnerable to Cathy’s charms. Faye, on the other hand, is a kind woman whose goodness is the very reason why she is the perfect target for Cathy, who changes her name to Kate. Faye isn’t entirely dull, and after meeting Kate, she knows she might be missing something. This is why she gets the sheriff to check her out, just in case something bad comes out.
At the time, Faye has no idea that Quinn knows exactly who Cathy is and where she has come from. Days ago, he’d met a wounded Adam Trask who refused to accept that his wife shot him and ran away. Without his testimony, Quinn cannot arrest Cathy, and he also knows that the man and his sons are better off if they never cross paths with Cathy again. So, when Faye calls him in, he could have dragged Cathy back to Adam, or he could have arrested her one way or another. But she has seen enough of the world to know that it’s better not to mess with her. So, to save the Trasks from her, he tells her to live her new life and never return to her husband and kids. In saving the family she ran away from, he unwittingly dooms Faye to a dark fate.
The thing is, Cathy never intended to work under anyone. From the beginning, the thought of being tied down by someone had nauseated her. This is why she killed her parents and why she shot Adam. It is in her nature to be in control rather than being controlled by someone. So, when she comes to Faye’s, she already has a plan in mind. She knows her new boss can be easily swayed to her side, something she is already very good at. All she needs to do is get Faye to leave her business and her wealth to Cathy, who will finally have the thing that will put her in an unprecedented position of power.
Cathy Patiently Plans Faye’s Death
At Faye’s, Cathy’s endgame is to take over and become the madam of the house. But she knows she has to be very patient and focus on the long game. She starts with Faye, appearing not too desperate for her approval but being around enough to show that she cares. And it starts with establishing herself as someone who can bring in good business. Once she has dedicated customers who ask for her by name, Faye pays attention to Cathy and believes that keeping her happy will improve the business. Cathy uses this opportunity to show care for Faye and ingratiates herself in the upkeep of the business and the house. She doesn’t directly jump to the books, where the money is, but she starts small, like taking care of the kitchen and the laundry.
Meanwhile, she also befriends other girls so that when the time comes, Faye is willing to leave her in charge. She also knows that having the girls’ trust and support will come in handy when she eventually kills Faye. If the other girls don’t like her, they are more likely to suspect her of murder. Over time, Faye comes to rely so much on Cathy that she spends more time in her room than going out to take stock of things. As long as the house is running smoothly, she doesn’t have anything to worry about. And then one day, she tells Cathy that she sees her as a daughter, and this is not by coincidence either.
Previously, Cathy had compared Faye to her mother, directly or indirectly, sowing the seed that Faye is a mother figure to her. With Faye accepting Cathy as her daughter, she takes one more step towards getting her name on the madam’s will. But this daughterly feeling also makes Faye reconsider Cathy’s work. She doesn’t want her to have customers anymore, and Cathy cleverly uses this to push her to leave everything to her. The problem now is that Faye wishes to sell everything and leave for Europe, so that they, mother and daughter, can live the rest of their lives happily. This is where Faye starts to tie down Cathy. Moreover, in a celebratory mood, she makes Cathy drink, which brings out her real side, and she exposes herself to Faye.
She later convinces the woman that it was a nightmare, but Cathy now knows she doesn’t have much time. Thus, she starts poisoning Faye. By this time, she had already led everyone to believe that Faye was getting old and sick, which is why she stayed in her room all day and let Cathy do all the work. So, as the madam’s situation worsens, everyone thinks it is natural and is eventually going to happen. In her final push, Cathy makes Faye eat canned beans, which she also consumes herself, so that no one can doubt her. When Faye is bedridden, Cathy overdoses her with morphine and kills her. Since Faye’s will leaves everything for her adopted daughter with no blood kin to contest it, Cathy gets everything she had wanted all along.
Read More: East of Eden: What Happens to Charles? How Does He Die?
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