Good People in Cannery Row
Good People in Cannery Row
John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, on its surface, is a very simplistic book in which its plot does not have any significant impact on its universe, let alone its characters. However, if one might delve deeper into Steinbeck’s clever subtext and rich overtones, a world of bliss and beauty can be found. Cannery Row, is a book where its characters are self-described as “Whores, Pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches” and yet called “Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men” on the very same page (405). The point of these contradictions is to comment on society’s view of Morality.
This is specifically noted when one of the main Characters, Doc, says “It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success.” When referring a group of Former homeless men called Mack and the boys (505). Mack and the boys are a group of bums that live in the row, and often do nothing but drink alcohol. These men never do anything necessarily heroic, or daring, or even Courageous, but these men are the most moral individuals in the entirety of Cannery Row. Through the Scenes following Mack and the Boys, John Steinbeck develops Idea that despite their lack of ambition, they are viewed as morally upstanding individuals, who have a positive impact on society. With their happy go lucky nature, and simple needs, these men can achieve the impossible.
One might think that they are very unintelligent individuals due to their standard of living, but that couldn’t be farther than the truth. Time and time again they prove themselves to be people that are not only capable, but show extraordinary prowess in certain fields. One of these men, for instance was gay. When referring to his mechanical ability, Steinbeck narrates
John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, on its surface, is a very simplistic book in which its plot does not have any significant impact on its universe, let alone its characters. However, if one might delve deeper into Steinbeck’s clever subtext and rich overtones, a world of bliss and beauty can be found. Cannery Row, is a book where its characters are self-described as “Whores, Pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches” and yet called “Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men” on the very same page (405). The point of these contradictions is to comment on society’s view of Morality.
This is specifically noted when one of the main Characters, Doc, says “It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success.” When referring a group of Former homeless men called Mack and the boys (505). Mack and the boys are a group of bums that live in the row, and often do nothing but drink alcohol. These men never do anything necessarily heroic, or daring, or even Courageous, but these men are the most moral individuals in the entirety of Cannery Row. Through the Scenes following Mack and the Boys, John Steinbeck develops Idea that despite their lack of ambition, they are viewed as morally upstanding individuals, who have a positive impact on society. With their happy go lucky nature, and simple needs, these men can achieve the impossible.
One might think that they are very unintelligent individuals due to their standard of living, but that couldn’t be farther than the truth. Time and time again they prove themselves to be people that are not only capable, but show extraordinary prowess in certain fields. One of these men, for instance was gay. When referring to his mechanical ability, Steinbeck narrates
Cited: Steinbeck, John. The short novels of John Steinbeck. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2009. Print.