Cannery Row Essay

Cannery Row Research Paper
There's a reason Monterey is considered paradise by residents and visitors alike. From its rich
history to spectacular views, this central coastal city's attributes are breathtaking and diverse.
Monterey is well known for its marine mammals. Harbor seals can be spotted sunning themselves
on the rocks and buoys just off of Old Fisherman's Wharf and sea lions and sea otters are often seen
bobbing in the water along the coastline. To see more animals, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium–
one of Monterey's best known attractions – which is home to hundreds of fish and ocean animals.
While admission is steep, you can spend an entire day exploring the Aquarium. The Open Sea
exhibit, which boasts a 90–foot window, allows you to experience sea life as if you were
underwater. Watch in amazement as vibrant jellyfish and huge tuna swim right by you. In other
portions of the Aquarium, you'll see a kelp forest, penguins, and sea otters....show more content...
These canneries were made famous by Pulitzer Prize–winning author John Steinbeck in his gritty
book, Cannery Row. Today the old canning company is an antique mall and the seaside avenue is
lined with eateries, boutiques, hotels and a variety of shops. Even though Cannery Row's industry is
now tourism rather than sardines, it's still worth a visit. Many of the restaurants offer fresh seafood
with the side order of amazing views of the Bay coming at no additional charge. After you shop and
eat, stop by the bronze Cannery Row Monument for a photo with some of Monterey's most historic
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John Steinbeck's Cannery Row
Cannery Row: Living Heaven on Earth
Cannery Row (1945), a novel written by John Steinbeck, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, is a
book without much of a plot. Instead, it's a novel where setting, atmosphere and most importantly
character, take precedence. Steinbeck creates a colorful array of characters struggling to understand
their own unique places in the world.
The story is set in the early 20th century, immediately following the Depression and World War II.
The characters live in Monterey, California amid the jumble of the sardine fisheries, the "Palace
Flophouses", Lee Chong's grocery, Dora's whorehouse, and Doc's Biological Lab. Throughout the
book, Steinbeck has the uncanny ability to combine his characters'...show more content...
Steinbeck frequently interrupts the flow of what could be considered the main story line, by
throwing short segments into the writing thus introducing a new character (usually not directly
connected to the primary story) or referencing some sort of cruel occurrence of real life. For
example, in chapter twelve Steinbeck writes about the death of Josh Billings, an author who had
come to Monterey. After Billings' death, the doctor dumps his remains into a gulch, where a little
boy and his dog later find them. The little boy, not knowing any better, takes the author's remains to
use them for fishing. Upon hearing this, the town quickly collects all his insides and puts them in a
leaden box, which was placed in Josh Billings' coffin.
The purpose of inserting this anecdote was to show the camaraderie and respect of the people in
Cannery Row. At one point in the story, Steinbeck writes, "Josh Billings was a great man, a great
writer. He had honored Monterey by dying there and he had been degraded" (64–65). Steinbeck
demonstrates that by creating an atmosphere of noble intentions and good feelings for one another,
everyone is able to live in a world of peace even when there are bad times.
Steinbeck spends the greater part of the book writing about a party that Mac and the boys plan to
throw for Doc. The boys believe that since Doc has always been such a nice guy that

Community In John Steinbeck's Cannery Row
Another example of how Steinbeck focuses on the community in this story is when Doc makes a
statement about what men admire in their community. These lines are stated in John Steinbeck's
novel and are talking about how the men in their community or area admire kindness and honesty
but love self–interest, greed, meanness, or even egotism. This is just an example of how the people
in the community are trustworthy and have kind or nice personalities.
A personal interview with Michael Hemp on John Steinbeck's Cannery Row is a very special video
that talks about the history of Cannery Row and also the community. He says that even though there
were some things in the community that some would not agree with, that everyone in Cannery Row
were kind and showed how people would always be...show more content...
He says that John wrote this book mostly in memory of friends and picked Cannery Row to write
about because it reminded him of a community with such nice and kind people. Michael also says
that Steinbeck does not write genres of fiction. He states that he only writes about real things,
real people, and also even real places or events. This short interview also shows pictures of where
Mack and his friends stayed all the time. Michael Hemp talks about how cannery row got the
name and what the first item being canned there was, which is sardines. He also says that it was
the canning of sardines that made Monterey Bay famous. This means that the community was
very well known. He shows in the video what Ed Rickett's laboratory and the grocery store looks
like today if someone would visit it. He mentions that Cannery Row is one of John Steinbeck's best
novels and that it is all about a fantastic community that has a great present and very eventful past.
He talks about how Ed Rickett's lab gave children who did not get to experience physiology the
chance to study it in his laboratory with organisms and animals. This shows a good example of
someone helping other people in

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck is a novel containing the problems that people in old Monterey,
California, dealt with. Steinbeck grew up in this broken town and watched how life worked around
him. Steinbeck himself went through these struggles of having multiple secret insecurities while
others perceived him as much different. John Steinbeck now writes about the reality of how people
are not always what they seem to be.
First of all the theme can be clearly seen when the novel compares expectations versus reality. The
first example is, "In spite of his friendliness and his friends Doc was a lonely and set apart man"
(Steinbeck 100). In the beginning of the novel Steinbeck portrays Doc as someone who is friendly
and very nice, although deep...show more content...
An even better example is, "When there was laughter at a joke he didn't understand Frankie laughed
delightedly behind his chair and when the conversation dealt with abstractions his brow furrowed
and he became intent and serious" (Steinbeck 59). Frankie pretends to understand what they are
talking about to fit in with them and try to be more adult–like. He feels as though if he acts different
the adults will like him more.
Last but not least is that no matter what something or somewhere may look like, it can always
contain beauty. The first great example is, "House–ridden, the boys grew tired of squatting on the
floor. Their eyes became outraged by the bare board walls. Because it sheltered them the house
grew dear to them" (Steinbeck 40). This quote shows how something like an old beat up house can
be something much more on the inside. The house contains love and care inside with family and
friends living inside of it. An example even better than the first is, "...as a man once said 'whores,
pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches,' by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through
another peephole he might have said, 'Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men,' and he would
have meant the same thing" (Steinbeck 1). This quote shows how perspective works, someone may
look at a town such as Cannery Row and not

John Steinbeck's Cannery Row Essay
Novel Notes
Plot/Summary: My novel takes place in Monterey, California where Mack and the boys try and
to set up a party for doc until things don't go as planned. Mack, the boys, and a group of
unemployed men helping them out. They try and set up the party in Docs lab which is also
known as his house. Lee Chong is a grocery store owner and offers to buy Mack and the boys
some beer. Mack attempts to do stuff but every time he gets him self in trouble. Eddie is a back up
bartender at the local bar and brings home stolen bottles after work. Gay stays with the boys because
his wife likes to beat him but he is often in jail or at the bar because of all the fights he gets into with
his wife, Doc finds a couple of dead people laying on the...show more content...
"Out in the kitchen Doc was frying three steaks..."
3. "Lee Chong owns a grocery store on the Row and he employs tons of family members there"
Character
1. "That Doc really is a fine fellow. We ought to do something for him."
2. "Mack never stops by just to say hi and hang out."
3. "What Lee Chong's
Novel Questions
1.Mack and the boys are my favorite characters in the novel because its always fun to have a little bit
of chaos in your life
2.I can't say I didn't dislike any of the characters from this novel because they were all playing a
good role
3.If I'm like and character I'm like Mack because I like to cause havoc
4.Mack reminds me of my friends because we all like to have some fun
5.If I could be any character I would be Mack because that's just who I like
6.Doc is one of the most responsible characters and I would want to be like him.
7.I really liked the story a lot at the beginning and then it just keep getting better
8.Yes, when doc had the kid steal something from the store because when I was little I tried to steal
a baseball and got caught
9.Yes, I loved this book just because it was a really good and understandable read
10.None of the parts in this book were confusing to me at all
11.No I do not think there is an opinion stated in this novel. At least if there is one that I did not
happen to catch
12.Yes the title was

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck is a social experiment, a character study, a story of successes and
failures, and a work of unadulterated art. Steinbeck's purpose is to illustrate life in all its
complexities and mysteries. In the process, Steinbeck warps life's realities into his own modernized
utopia, demonstrating how even the most down–on–their–luck of communities can become a
paradigm of contentment. In order to present his findings on life's intricacies, he utilizes an
exquisite partnership of style and form. Style and form both impact Steinbeck's purpose in the novel,
specifically in the form of a complicated set of vignettes, anecdotes, off–tangent musings, and
advanced sentence structures. They work in sync while mirroring the unique...show more content...
They are somewhat vulgar and they use improper grammar and abbreviate the pronunciation of
certain words. A prime example of this is the conversation the boys have while out catching frogs
for Doc. Mac is thinking about the idea of giving a gift to Doc and says "But s'pose we give him
something except whiskey, maybe cufflinks with his initials [to which Hazel responds] Oh,
horseshit...Doc don't want stuff like that" (74). This kind of language is typical of Mack and his
friends throughout the book. They use s'pose instead of suppose, except instead of other than or
besides, vulgar expressions instead of tame ones, and don't instead of doesn't. This helps to illustrate
the complex nature of humans and their relationships. While Doc generally speaks proper English,
the bums have a rough manner of speaking. Additionally, Lee Chong's voice has a significant lack
of a certain letter. According to the narrator, "He spoke a stately English without ever using the letter
r" (5–6). One example of this is when Mack comes to make a deal with him on the Palace
Flophouse and Grill, Lee says "You like pay lent my place?" (10). By using such characterization for
each of his individual character, Steinbeck captures human complexities and thus captures life's
complexities. The microscopic differences in the way each character speaks

Cannery Row Community Essay
In Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck, the value of community and the importance of everyone are
dissected through a tale of everyday life in this small town. This is a story about the inhabitants of
Cannery Row, and how they all get along, even when you aren't invited to the party.
Steinbeck sets the scene in Cannery Row, a community by the water, based on the real town, Ocean
View Avenue. With Lee Chong's grocery, the Palace Flophouse and Grill, Dora's homely brothel,
and Doc's lab, Western Biological, this is a very diverse neighborhood. The entire town is affected
by the Great Depression. Almost everyone owes Lee Chong money, however, he often stops
counting. Every person in this town is intertwined. They are, at most, a large group of misfits...show
more content...
Dora, the brothel owner, cares for everyone in the town. When the flu hit, her girls were busy
bringing soup to all the sick. Dora is like the mother of Cannery Row. Mack and the boys are the
heart of the town. When all is normal with Mack and the boys, the town is good too. When the
gang is sad, the whole town has bad luck, but after the successful party, Mack and the boys
become the light of Cannery Row. Lee Chong is a very generous man who has power over most
in the form of debt, but never uses his power to harm anyone. Doc is a misfit scientist. He is kind
and enjoys the company of others, but is also accustomed to spending nights alone in his lab. He
helps everyone with their medical needs and is overall a very wise and melancholy man.
All of these members create a community. This community thrives off of each of their lives.
Without Dora and her girls, the entire town would be wiped out, and Lee Chong could have
bankrupted every person who wasn't already bankrupt. Doc could have locked himself up instead of
opening his lab to those in need, while Mack and the Boys couldn't really do anything to change the
society because they are the society. If something happens they are either the cause or the first ones
influenced. All of these members of the community are one organism, living, growing, surviving,
despite all odds against

Loneliness in Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck
As night falls on Cannery Row actuality and fear overwhelms the souls as they lay awake at night.
At this very moment they are alone to think to ponder their existence their importance their
meaning. During the day the things the people of Cannery Row use to fill their void. To give them
happiness is gone and for those long hours of the night they are truly alone. The cats, the parties,
and companions are gone just for a second. But they return in the morning to calm the weary and
the broken spirits of the people in Cannery Row. Each of us just like the people in Cannery Row
uses something or someone to compensate for the loneliness in our lives. Money, relationships, and
personal struggles are evident and bring about loneliness to...show more content...
Although Frankie has never had much love he knows what it means and he finds it in Doc. With
Doc he is not alone. Doc is his protection, his comforter. He is also a father figure who he looks up
to. Undoubtedly Doc and Frankie share something and it is there intellectual capacities. Their
intellect predisposes them to a certain form of loneliness. It is of course on the opposite
spectrum. Doc is highly and unusually intelligent while Frankie is on the slow side. They find it
hard to fit in with the people of Cannery Row because they cannot find a place where they fit in
intellectually. We can all think back to the smart kid or who we would refer to as the "nerd" in high
school. They were the kids who always sat alone at lunch who did not go to dances or social events.
Never got asked to prom and had very little friends. If you are too smart you are a nerd and if you
are too slow you are dim–witted. Therefore is safe to say intelligence plays a huge role in
loneliness. Doc chooses to be to put all his time and effort into his work which brings him true
happiness. Without Western Biological doc would feel alone and isolated. Western Biological fills
the void in his life. Although Doc has not reached self–actualization all his basic needs have been
met. He is satisfied with where he is. No doubt Cannery Row is known for its parties. Yes this can
be looked upon negatively. Cannery row is filled with hoboes,

Cannery Row Themes
John Steinbeck returns to the Monterey area of California for Cannery Row, a story of a few men
living in California in the aftermath of the Great Depression, specifically in an abandoned
warehouse. Steinbeck wrote this book at the behest of a WWII soldier who desired to forget the
horrors of the war he just endured. Cannery Row mixes multiple themes and tones together in order
to bring together a captivating narrative which has endured over time.
Cannery Row takes place in the cannery district of Monterey, California, following the story of
Mack and his friends as the rent a converted shack from Lee Chong, a local grocer. Mack soon meets
Doc, the owner of a local biological warehouse, a man who always has a negative vibe about him yet
is...show more content...
People who are described as ""whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches"(1) often band
together to fight against problems, such as the influenza epidemic. Business owners who are
shown throughout the novel that money is a priority such as Lee Chong and Dora deal as often
in good will as they do with cash, helping the boys out along their journey. At the heart of this
community rests Doc, someone that everyone is in some way indebted to along with being
overall a good person and becoming the soul of the community, as when he is wronged the whole
town goes into a negative state. Related to this is finding happiness without material wealth,
specifically with analyzing the story of Mack and the boys. If you throw out side plots and
various other things from the story, it's a few poor guys trying to collect up enough booze and
pocket money to throw a party. These men don't value the concept of wealth in material earnings
as much as they measure wealth in the sense of good will and the experiences on has in life. The
boys described as "not mercantile men. They did not measure their joys in goods sold, their egos
in bank balances, nor their loves in what they cost"(108) Steinbecks writing style almost always
provides a tone of affection for at least one character or group, in Cannery Row it's almost
everyone he feels this way about. He calls Mack and the boys ""the Beauties"(14) and writes about

Cannery Row Summary
Fiction Book Reporting Form AP English Language & Composition *I divided this book into five
sections, starting with introducing the townsfolk, to the protagonists planning and throwing parties
for Doc Name: ______Jacob Ricafrente_____________ Date: ______4/10/16_______ Period: _3_
Book Title: _____Cannery Row____________________ Genre: ___Fiction/Novel______ Author:
___John Steinbeck________________________ Number of Pages: ___208____ Brief Summary
and "Arrangement" of the Book: Cannery Row is a 208 page novel written by author John
Steinbeck divided into 32 chapters with a loose but linear main storyline interrupted by various
vignettes referencing acts of direct and indirect violence, and the cruelty of the world. The book
begins with...show more content...
Mack asks Dora what he should do to make it up to Doc, so she suggests throwing another party
that Doc can actually attend. Thus, plans are in place for another party, this time on Doc's
birthday (although Mack does not realize that Doc gave a false date when Mack asked about his
birthday). All of Cannery Row knows about the party except for Doc, who forgets that he gave
Mack a made–up birthday. Everyone comes up with genuine and homemade presents for Doc.
Doc does eventually hear about the planned party from a random drunk at a bar, and he decides to
forestall some of the problems from the first celebration by buying alcohol and food and locking
up his cherished and/or breakable possessions. The night of the party arrives, and it begins slowly
but then it soon blossoms into a lively, fun, and boisterous affair with fights, food and dancing. Doc
even reads a poem to the crowd that renders them pensive and nostalgic for lost

Analysis Of John Steinbeck 's ' Cannery Row '
An omniscient narrator carries its audience through the eccentric tale of the town of Cannery Row
and all of its strange idiosyncrasies. Cannery Row is an aberrant novella written by John Steinbeck
in 1945, and it is unlike any other story of its time. Set in the town of Cannery Row in Monterey,
California during the Great Depression, Steinbeck writes about a diverse community of men and
women who all struggle with their own mundane tragedies. He creates the world of Cannery Row
through his own unique form and style in which he continually interrupts his own narration to piece
together the fictitious, but nonetheless heartbreaking, events of Doc, Dora, Mack and many other
misfits. John Steinbeck designed the heavenly paradise of Cannery Row, where good does not
always triumph evil, however the two must be balanced, even the most thought out plans may go
awry, and even though you may ignore the sorrowful misfortune that surrounds you, you are
inescapable of your designed fate.
Steinbeck has an interesting style of writing that pulls his readers in through confusion and curious
desire. He has an intriguing way of transitioning from chapter to chapter because of his tendency to
start a new story in the middle of telling another one, leaving questions unanswered and storylines
untouched until he is ready to reveal the rest of the original story. Constantly, he invents new misfits
and finds ways to torture them with failure, fear, loneliness, poverty, and loss. For example, in

The Cannery Row John Steinbeck Analysis
The author I chose to compare and contrast two of his works is John Steinbeck, and the two works
I chose is "The Cannery Row" (1945) and the Winter of our Discontent" (1961). The first story
"the Cannery Row" takes place during the Great Depression in Monterey, California and a well
market place were hard working go every day in a lower level part of town. This story surrounds a
group of hard working individual who have a different outlook on what society thinks the typical
successful person is. My second story, however doesn't take place during the Great Depression, but
does involve a very wealthy family that over time eventually became broke. During this story one
family member does whatever it takes by any means necessary to put his family back on top after
being pressured by the locals after his family name hits rock bottom. Even though both stories take
place years apart the both have similarities to the characters that are in the stories....show more
content...
A member of that once wealthy family an honest man that can't help but relive the good days that
his family had being well respected has decided to take action into his own hands to put his
family name back on top by any means necessary. The pressure that he faced from the local in
town made him even more eager to bring respect back to his family name. So one day he creates a
plan that involves really negatively impacting people in order for his family to become rich and
respected like they used to. After he succeeds in getting his family rich again and respected the
things he did to those began to get the better of him. He starts to feel guilty and began realizing that
everything he did was wrong from the start. Eventually he has his own family. One day his son wins
an essay contest, but soon finds out that his soon won because he plagiarized the

Character Development in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row
Maybe it's more important to be appreciated than to be wealthy. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
(1945) is one of the most unique of all of the Nobel Prize winning novels. Cannery Row is set in a
very poor area of California known as Monterey. It is a small port town south of San Francisco. The
time era is post Depression and World War II. The novel is about howlower class people with warm
hearts have the ability to create their own heaven on earth. The novel starts out with a group of
people known as Mack and the boys. None of these men have jobs, and they all live in a small shack
at the end of town. Mack and the boys want to do something nice for their loving friend Doc. Doc is a
...show more content...
They set up the surprise party at Doc's house, but Doc is late getting home and by the time he gets
there, his house is trashed and everyone is passed out drunk. There seems to be a bad feeling
haunting the town for a while after the party. As time goes on, Doc, Lee and Mack begin to spend
more time together. They encounter many obstacles throughout the rest of the novel. First the whole
town comes down with a terrible influenza, then they have to deal with heart ache when they find
their friend, dead in the ocean. After things begin to return to normal, Mack and Lee decide to
throw another party for their dear friend Doc. This time Doc attends his party and has a wonderful
time. He is very happy to have friends like Lee, Mack and the boys to show that he is appreciated.
Doc then begins to clean his house while he thinks back on all his memories in the beautiful town
known as Cannery Row. Steinbeck develops the characters and their personalities in a unique way,
turning a small ordinary town into a magical paradise.
The main character, Doc has a strong personality that shows leadership. He is the strong one who
holds the stability among all the other characters. He is a gentle, confident, middle–aged man.
Everyone in the novel respects Doc and confides in him for all their needs or advice. One quote
showing how Doc is a leader to all states, "Doc tips his hat to dogs as he drives by and the dogs look
up and smile at him"(23). Doc is well

Morality in Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
In society, people value morality as a human quality. People learn their values from when they are
young from various sources. However, who is to say what is necessarily right and wrong? Values
and morality can have different meanings, especially if placed in the context of a distorted
materialistic society. In Cannery Row,John Steinbeck reminds people about this important theme
and how it applies on a bigger scale. The setting of the story is Cannery Row, located in Monterey,
California. Steinbeck's choice of setting is significant in that it fully captures the breadth of
humanity. On the one hand, it is an area that represents the thriving sardine industry. On the other,
it is also an area where the lower classes, including bums and whores could live. In actuality, the
story is not really about the sardine industry at all, but is rather a collection of short stories that
are all unified about the same theme, the quality and meaning of life. The main plot of this novel
is centered on Doc, a marine biologist. It begins when Mack and the boys, Lee Chong, and Dora
throw a surprise party for him to show their appreciation and great reverence towards him. By
writing about the warm relationships between Doc and the inhabitants of Cannery Row, Steinbeck
uses these short stories as his way of talking about life on a bigger scale. In essence, Cannery Row
is John Steinbeck's personal philosophy on human importance, his take on what humans should be
like, and his

Success is something everyone wants, but only a few feel they have achieved it. In 2017 success
and wealth go hand in hand, but that wasn't always true. In John Steinbeck's Cannery Row,
(written in 1945) through the voice of Doc, he shows readers that wealth is not synonyms with
success. In fact, wealth has nothing to do with success. Steinbeck explains how success is
determined by happiness, and that people need to stop searching for ways to improve their
lifestyle when they should learn to be happy with everything they have. Nowadays, success is
defined by wealth. The more cars you have, the nicer your house, the more money you make the
wealthier you are. Wealth is just one aspect of success, but it's typically the one most people
judge success on because it's the most tangible. It's hard to see how happy someone truly is,
while it's easy to see if someone has a nice car. In America specifically, only 33% of Americans are
currently happy with their lives (Huffington). While this may surprise some people, it isn't that
shocking when you start to take a closer look at it. The reason so many people are unhappy is
due to the fact that people compare themselves to the best aspects of others. When they realize
they aren't doing as well as other people it makes their current living situation appear worse
because they know that others have more than them. In Cannery Row most people view Doc as
the most successful person in the book. Doc is the one with the well paying job, a working car
and helps out others with his extra money. It's no surprise to see why people think he's successful.
Whenever people need help with money or life advice they go to Doc because he's the smartest
and richest man they know. While most people in this book view success as wealth, Doc views
success as happiness. With Doc believing this he views Mack and the boys as the most successful.
He shares his opinion when he says, "Look at them. There are your true philosophers. I think that
Mack and the boys know everything that has ever happened in the world and possibly everything
that will happen. I think they survive in this particular world better than other people. In a time when
people tear themselves to pieces with ambition

The book Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, is about a town that goes through good times and bad
times. This book shows that despite your differences, you can work together to make a great
community. It also demonstrates that the choices you make have an effect on other people. The
book starts out explaining a grocery store in Cannery Row. The owner, Lee Chong, is a very
friendly and nice person. A group of bums led by Mack, ask the grocer if they can rent a place
that Lee Chong owns, but doesn't use. They get his permission. This group of bums cause a lot of
problems in this book. One of them being stealing things from multiple people. The group is very
shady, and are good liars. They also try to throw a party at Docs, a scientist, which is a

Cannery Row Analysis
The contentment of Cannery Row
What is the meaning of life? This has been a topic that has been greatly debated and discussed for
as long as anyone can remember. Many people believe that happiness is the key to life and living
a good life. Although achieving happiness can be difficult and it is another topic that no one really
has a clear definition of and no one knows how to truly acquire it and can actually differ from
person to person. John Steinbeck actually asks a question about happiness and in the story Cannery
Row by John Steinbeck there are many different characters who... seem to have quirky personalities.
While these characters do seem to live a tough life and don't seem to have very much as far as
money they are actually happy and content with their lives.
The characters in Cannery Row don't seem to be very prosperous even the characters, such as
Doc and Lee Chong, who seem to have the most out of everyone else do not have much and don't
seem to fit the ideology of happiness that is known of today. Lee Chong a chinese man who is
actually the local grocer in the town of Cannery Row and actually extends a lot of his groceries
out to the people of Cannery Row through a credit and in fact will cut people off when they've
acquired a high debt and or if he feels he is getting taken advantage of. Doc is probably the most
fortunate of the group he owns Western Biological Laboratories which is his business but he
actually does it because hes very interested in life of

Theme Of Cannery Row
From the stock market crashing almost rock bottom to banks filing for bankruptcy, the Great
Depression was a time of economic hardship for many people. Steinbeck's Cannery Row depicts a
small community of misfits isolated from most of society. The novel follows the stories of these
characters, interrupting itself occasionally with a snippet of another tale from within the community.
Cannery Row explores the theme of yin–yang within a community. Henri, a painter, wants to
maintain the image of a painter instead of actually painting. Dora, the head of a brothel, balances
running a tight ship while taking care of her girls at the same time. Doc, a scientist who lives in his
lab, has a mixture of conflicting personalities. Throughout the novel,...show more content...
Doc is a popular community member that s there whenever anyone need him. He is described by
the narrator of the novel as "half Christ and half satyr" (Steinbeck 28). By describing Doc as half
Christ, Steinbeck shows that Doc is very admired within the community. Many of the young
community members like Frankie look up to him as a god because of his wise knowledge and he
is kind to everyone. By describing Doc as a satyr, it shows of his imperfect human side. Similar to
satyrs, Doc is an alcoholic and a player. Steinbeck's use of juxtaposition by showing both Doc's
strengths and vices highlights the idea that everyone has multiple sides to their personality.
Another example is when Doc recalls a poet's recommendation to try a beer milkshake because he
loved beer so much. He had "wondered what a beer milkshake would taste like. The idea gagged
him but he couldn't let it alone" (Steinbeck 103). The "beer milkshake" is a metaphor for the
juxtaposition of his personality. A milkshake is something that most people like and is very sweet
and innocent. A beer is a form of sin because it is alcohol. By combining the two together, Steinbeck
highlights the contrasting forces of personality within Doc. The fact that Doc has both strengths and
weaknesses and that there are clashing character traits within Doc demonstrates that everyone

John Steinbeck's Cannery Row: An Analysis
In Steinbeck's Cannery Row, the gopher story parallels the story at the beginning about the silk
worm. Steinbeck used the story to portray his approach to writing the book and "let the stories
crawl in by themselves". It sets up the book as the gopher story closes it out. The gopher seems to
convey the overall destiny of Cannery Row. They start out in great environments. Even in the
prime of the life to achieve the desires. The patience wears thin to and is convince to make a way.
Then there is an acceptance of doing what they have to truly be satisfied. Even if it means risking
being uncomfortable and trapped, what their hearts desire is worth it. The story ends open ended,
leaving the reader unsure of the fate that is ahead. The gopher has

Cannery Row Conflict Analysis
Conflict in Cannery Row John Steinbeck's novel, Cannery Row, takes place in Monterey,
California, in the 1930's. The novel focuses on the lives of six friends, Mack, Eddie, Hazel
Hughie, Jones and Doc, and how their lives are intertwined. Their friend Doc is always doing nice
things for people of Cannery Row. Mack and his friends want to do something nice in return, so the
boys plan a party for their mentor and friend, Doc, to show their appreciation for everything he has
done to help them and their community. Their intentions are good, but what actually happens is a
complete disaster. The characters have one main problem. They want to do something good for their
father–figure friend, Doc, but the outcome of their innocent...show more content...
Mack's dog, Precious, is sick, and Mack brings his dog to Doc. Mack begs Doc for help.
Miraculously, the dog is healed. Mack is so appreciative, he wants to have another party for Doc,
but this time he wants help to plan the party better. He does not want to have another catastrophic
event. Mack and his friends plan another party for Doc. Everyone on Cannery Row knows about
the party and wants to help. Mack wanted the party to be better than the last one. "Mack was
realistic about it, 'Last time we forced her,' he told the boys. 'You can't never give a good party
that way. You got to let her creep up on you'"(135). He did not want to disappoint Doc like he had
the last time. He wanted everything to be perfect. The conflict in the novel, human intention
versus human action, eventually helps Mack overcome the many failures he feels he has had
throughout his life. Mack thinks that everything that he does, goes wrong. He is always trying to
right the things he does wrong. "It don't do no good to say I'm sorry. I been sorry all my life. This
ain't no new thing. It's always like this" (114). Mack and Doc's conflict is resolved by Doc's
forgiving Mack for his

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Cannery Row Essay