In John Steinbeck's "East of Eden," the decline of deities is depicted as a catastrophic event rather than a gradual fading. When gods fall, they do so dramatically, either breaking apart or descending into obscurity, making their restoration a challenging and often fruitless endeavor. This process highlights the difficulty of rebuilding what has been lost, suggesting that once a figure of reverence has fallen, it can never truly regain its former glory.

The impact of this fall extends to the innocent, symbolizing the profound loss of innocence in a child's view of the world. The experience of growing up, in this context, becomes bittersweet; while it involves the acquisition of wisdom, it also brings a deep sense of longing for a once-cherished wholeness that can never be fully reclaimed. This portrays growing up as a painful yet inevitable part of life, where the beauty of childhood is tinged with an acknowledgment of loss.