In the Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, screenwriter Zoe Kazan reimagines the character of Cathy Ames, traditionally portrayed as a femme fatale—a seductive and dangerous woman. Played with depth and nuance by Florence Pugh, Cathy is shown as a complex figure, driven by trauma and desire. In the opening moments of the series, a weakened Cathy, played by Pugh, crawls through the darkness while her voice, filled with both allure and warning, declares, "I am convinced that this world harbors monsters born of human parents. [...] However, evil is not always visible at first glance." These words, taken directly from Steinbeck's novel, introduce Cathy as a character who is both fascinating and unsettling. Zoe Kazan's adaptation shifts focus from the traditional male perspective to Cathy's own story, giving her a voice and agency that were not as prominent in the original novel. In Steinbeck's East of Eden, Cathy is first encountered through the eyes of Adam and Charles, two brothers who find her injured on their porch after she is abused by a pimp. This male-centric viewpoint frames her as a mysterious and dangerous figure. In contrast, the Netflix series begins with Cathy herself, vulnerable and struggling, offering a new lens through which to understand her actions and motivations. In the 1955 film adaptation by Elia Kazan—Zoe Kazan's grandfather—Cathy is portrayed as an older woman, a brothel owner, with her son Cal, played by James Dean, seeking to connect with her. This version focuses more on the emotional toll of her choices, presenting her as a tragic figure rather than a fully fleshed-out character. The Netflix series breaks from this approach, following Cathy from the moment she crawls toward a distant light, emphasizing her survival instincts and the layers of her personality that emerge as the series progresses. Zoe Kazan highlights Cathy's traumatic past, including a childhood sexual assault, which informs her hardened demeanor and her ability to manipulate men for survival. In a society that imposes strict gender roles, Cathy turns her experiences into a source of strength, using her sexuality and intelligence to carve out a life on her own terms. The series challenges the idea that Cathy is simply "bad," instead asking viewers to consider the reasons behind her actions. Through this portrayal, the show underscores the complexities of being a woman in a patriarchal world, where being a femme fatale can be both a survival tactic and a dangerous burden.