# Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan Explain East of Eden’s Ending

> Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan reveal how Cathy Ames’ trauma shaped her final act in East of Eden.
- Title: Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan Explain East of Eden’s Ending
- Summary: Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan reveal how Cathy Ames’ trauma shaped her final act in East of Eden. Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan reinterpret Cathy Ames’ childhood…
- Keywords: florence pugh, zoe kazan, east of eden, netflix, cathy ames, steinbeck, alice in wonderland, trauma, suicide, netflix adaptation, Florence, Pugh
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/east-of-eden-ending-netflix-spoilers
- Author: Hillary Busis
- Published: 2026-10-01T16:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: florence pugh, zoe kazan, east of eden, netflix, cathy ames, steinbeck, alice in wonderland, trauma, suicide, netflix adaptation
## Cathy Ames’ Final Moments
Cathy Ames, a hard-hearted prostitute turned madam, serial murderer, and likely sociopath, meets her son Aron for the first time.
## Cathy’s Downward Spiral
Confronted by her son’s innocence and middle age miseries, including arthritis, hip pain, weight gain, and lost looks, Cathy falls into a downward spiral.
## Zoe Kazan’s View
Zoe Kazan says Steinbeck under-justifies Cathy’s suicide and emphasizes her physical beauty deterioration as a justification for her death.
## Netflix Adaptation
In the Netflix adaptation, Cathy kills herself after her son Cal brings twin brother Aron to her brothel.
## Cathy’s Trauma
Cathy’s backstory includes abandoning twins at birth, killing her mentor, burning down her parents’ house, and being beaten and left for dead.
## Childhood Abuse
Kazan interprets Steinbeck’s account of Cathy framing boys for rape as Cathy being assaulted at age five, not ten.
## Alice in Wonderland
Cathy recalls Alice in Wonderland’s ‘Drink Me’ potion as a way to escape her enemies, a concept she uses to cope with trauma.
## Cathy’s Final Scene
Cathy says she was five when something happened, then mentions Alice in Wonderland before overdosing on morphine.
## The Rabbit Hole
A rabbit hole appears, and young Cathy emerges in an Alice-like dress, embracing her adult self before dying.
## Pugh’s Perspective
Pugh says Cathy’s childhood trauma explains her distrust of men and her belief that vulnerability means being hurt.
## Kazan’s Interpretation
Kazan emphasizes Cathy’s loneliness and belief that the world is evil, leading her to isolate herself and hear only her own voice.
## Why This Matters
Kazan and Pugh aim to humanize Cathy without excusing her actions, showing how trauma shapes her worldview.
## Key takeaway

Florence Pugh and Zoe Kazan reinterpret Cathy Ames’ childhood trauma to explain her suicide in East of Eden’s Netflix adaptation.