John Steinbeck emphasizes the idea of a phalanx in Cannery Row. A phalanx involves a group of people that contribute to a main goal. Most of the time, good intentions are behind a phalanx. For example, a fundraiser directed to a good cause would benefit those in need. Thus, Steinbeck uses the idea of phalanx to promote a utopian society. He suggests that every individual is good, regardless of his or her background and circumstances. However, not all phalanxes are treated equally; some lead to unfortunate circumstances, such as social ostracism. With good intentions, cooperative communities can achieve significant goals if planned well. Dora and the girls’ philanthropic aid to the Cannery Row families bring out the best of a phalanx. Doc …show more content…
“People didn’t get the news of the party- the knowledge of it just slowly grew up in them” (167). This shows how, due to close proximity, everyone one know about the party by the time one person spills the secret. It is similar to how a rumor spreads quickly among students. The second party is a success. The whole community creates plans to celebrate Doc’s birthday. The planning starts after Mack tells Dora the whole story about the first party. In response, Dora suggests to “give [Doc] a party he does get to” (150). Dora pinpoints the Flophouse boys’ mistake of the first party. Previously, neither of them decide to plan the party while Doc is in the laboratory. Instead, they set up the party before Doc arrives, but it turns out to be a disaster. Hazel brings up the idea of having the next party during Doc’s birthday. After Mack discovers Doc’s birthdate, they consider the preparations without overdoing it. However, “people [did not] get the news of the party— the knowledge of it just slowly [grows] in them” (167). Mack and the boys did not directly tell the citizens about the party, but the plan spreads quickly. The citizens would know the boys’ intent of the party, unlike the previous one. The fact that the plan spread throughout Cannery Row reveals the close knit community. In response to the plan, Dora’s girls “[would work] on the [quilt] in the late mornings and in the afternoon before the boys from …show more content…
After everyone heard the news that my family came back home, they all planned to visit and settle with a feast. It is similar to how the members in Cannery Row heard the news about Doc’s birthday party. What really surprises me is that everyone knew each other. Whether one decides to visit another home in the community, the people would easily recognize the family one is from. The fact that everyone lived next to each other reminded me of the trip to Cannery Row. Overall, I can definitely see the close knit community in my mother’s hometown and during the trip to Cannery Row. Having a phalanx may allow the individuals to work together, despite the different backgrounds of the individual. Without a close-knit community, everyone would be distant and not know each other, unlike in Cannery Row. In conclusion, the phalanx of Cannery row expresses that when everyone comes together as a community, nothing bad will happen. However, if the rest of the community is not involved to achieve a goal, then it would happen otherwise. The idea of a phalanx creates a close knit community. With good intentions, a phalanx will allow individuals to work together and achieve goals. Once a phalanx is formed, the community sticks together during times of happiness and hardship. Therefore, Steinbeck attempts to create a utopian society through Cannery
Steinbeck is quick to point out the flaw of an unreliable and defenseless people. he points out “we spend our time searching for security” and “we are an intemperate people” he's quick to judge his own society but not without knowledge and experience to back it up. He notes are inability to take care of ourselves as much as we lead on. he makes a point that we are self centered with our unreasonable ability to make others feel obligated to us and our needs.
As John Steinbeck publishes “Cannery Row” in 1945, the same year when World War II ends, some scholars claim that his book somehow relates to the war. The novel is one of the most admirable modern-American narratives of the 20th and 21st century. It is set during the Great Depression in Monterey, California. The entire story is attached to a sensitively complex ecosystem that creates different approaches for the reader. The system is so fragile that one’s mistake can be the town’s last. Steinbeck depicts unique characters like Mack and the boys (who will stand as one character and/or group), Doc, and Lee Chong. Although there are many themes that can be extracted from these characters, the theme that arises the most is the isolation of the individual as it can be split into two different categories, the psychological and the physical.
In the book “Warriors Don’t Cry”, Melba Beals recalls her life during the 1950’s America. In the south, more specifically Little
Cannery Row is densely populated with a group of characters, in the narrative sense of the word and in terms of personalities. There is Dora, an imposing figure of a woman who runs a successful brothel, Henri, the non-French Frenchman, Lee Chong the shrewd but kind-hearted grocer, Doc the scientist, Mack, who leads a small group of men and is loved by the people of Cannery Row, and a host of other fascinating people who make Cannery Row so compelling. It may not seem obvious when reading John Steinbeck’s novel “Cannery Row,” but the main point or lesson in the novel is the importance of respect and Steinbeck uses his characters to tell this story about
Further, throughout the book, Sadie and Bessie continuously reminds the reader of the strong influence family life had on their entire lives. Their father and mother were college educated and their father was the first black Episcopal priest and vice principal at St. Augustine Co...
‘“Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin. Its windows were merely open spaces in the walls. What passed for a fence was bits of tree-limbs, broomsticks and tool shafts. Enclosed by this barricade was a dirty yard.”’ Mayella only has one thing that keeps her sane from all the horrible things that has been happening.
In today’s society everyone strives to be successful. Society portrays the idea that success is getting a job and being rich. In Cannery Row however, Steinbeck goes against the idea of how society depicts success and suggests that it may be something else. We can see it through his writing style and characters that success really is more than just money, and more geared to how you see yourself. A successful individual is one who views themself as successful by not giving in to cultural stereotypes, not caring how others perceive you, and by being content with the effort you put into something.
The small community of Hallowell, Maine was no different than any other community in any part of the new nation – the goals were the same – to survive and prosper. Life in the frontier was hard, and the settlement near the Kennebec Valley was no different than what the pioneers in the west faced. We hear many stories about the forefathers of our country and the roles they played in the early days but we don’t hear much about the accomplishments of the women behind those men and how they contributed to the success of the communities they settled in. Thanks to Martha Ballard and the diary that she kept for 27 years from 1785-1812, we get a glimpse into...
Jeannette Walls, the author of the memoir, The Glass Castle, was raised by parents whose relentless nonconformity and radical ideals were both positive and negative aspects to their wellbeing. Their names were Rex and Rosemary Walls, and they were the parents of four children. While the kids were still young, the family moved from town to town, camping in the wilderness and sleeping in the car, and sometimes even had a small place to stay. Rose Mary, who was both an artist and an author, identified herself as an “excitement addict”. As a mother who despised the responsibility of caring for her family, Rose Mary preferred making a painting that will last forever over making meals for her hungry children.
...in the people there. Some were able to combat their loneliness they had things to fill their voids such as their friends, spouses and even the parties. While others never found true contentment. In Cannery Row John Steinbeck has clearly emphasized the importance of friendship and community. He illustrated working together. And even the importance of needs such as physiological, safety, love/belonging, and esteem. In essence the people of Cannery Row truly care for each other. And though they are sometimes lonesome when they come together their loneliness instantly diminishes.
Could the dysfunction of the Walls family have fostered the extraordinary resilience and strength of the three older siblings through a collaborative set of rites of passage? One could argue that the unusual and destructive behavior of the parents forced the children into a unique collection of rites of passage that resulted in surprisingly resilient and successful adults. In moving back to Welch, Virginia, the children lost what minimal sense of security they may have enjoyed while living in their grandmother’s home in Arizona. The culture and climate (both socially and environmentally) along with an increased awareness of their poverty resulted in a significant loss of identity. As they learned new social and survival skills in this desperate environment, there is a powerful sense of camaraderie between the older children. Their awareness, drive and cunning survival skills while living in Welch result in a developing sense of confidence in their ability to survive anything. This transition, while wretched, sets the stage for their ability to leave their environment behind with little concern for a lack of success. As the children leave, one by one, to New York, they continue to support one another, and emerge as capable, resourceful young adults.
As Mark Twain once stated, “The more I know about people, the better I like my dog.” This sentiment is often echoed by general society; people seem to have lost faith in humanity. However, John Steinbeck illustrates his more optimistic opinion about “the perfectibility of man” by suggesting how man can improve. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, two tenants called George and Lennie go through many hardships all while chasing their dream of possessing their own farm. While they work at a farm, they meet an old swamper called Candy who offers to help them achieve their dream; he does so to ensure that he will have a future after he is fired for being too old. On page 60, Candy discusses the recent death of his dog and asks to join in on George and Lennie’s dream. Through this passage, Steinbeck proves that humans have an animalistic tendency of eliminating those who are weaker than them. This is depicted through the details connecting Candy to his dog as well as Candy’s diction when describing his potential future life. Steinbeck’s negative attitude towards man’s predatory nature implies that society needs to improve and prevent such oppressive behavior from occurring.
ohn Steinbeck's “Cannery Row” offers many interpretations, especially when viewed through the lens of the Holy Bible. From the Christ like figure of Doc to his apostles, Mack and the boys, Cannery Row is ripe with religious tropes. However, Doc is also considered to be quick to anger at times, and carries with him many themes found throughout the Old Testament texts and some legends that are even more aged. However, if we consider Doc to be the messianic figure he is then it wasn't the party that Doc had a problem with, nor that it was held without his knowing on his property. The issue arises with the process by which Mack and the boys use to fund the party. The green frogs harvested ultimately causes Mack and the boys to succumb to greed in an effort to praise Doc. The collection of frogs used as a currency is what sends Doc into a rage.
Mibs birthday is not what she expected to be. She is supposed to get her savvy which is a power that makes her family different from everyone else on her thirteen birthday. Her father had recently been a car accident, and in a hospital in Salina where Mibs’ mother and brother, Rocket, are living near the hospital while Mibs and her other brothers stay at home with Miss Rosemary, the pastor’s wife. Miss Rosemary throws a party for her, but all she want to do is go see her father since she, at first, thought her savvy was to wake people up and want to go wake her father up from the hospital. She finds that a pink bus is going to Salina and she goes in to get a ride there, but her friend, Will, his brother, Fish, and Miss Rosemary’s daughter,
The image of parties throughout The Great Gastby represents Fitzgerald’s belief that the American dream is only attainable in parts. These parties represent Gatsby’s grasp of superior status, which was part of his original goal to get Daisy back. To do this, however, he could not just hold a simple get-together. Gatsby had to throw the most outlandish and lavish party in town in hopes that Dai...