Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
"Cannery Row," authored by John Steinbeck, is set in the cannery district of Monterey, California, and presents a vivid portrayal of a diverse community striving for survival against the backdrop of economic hardship. The narrative centers around characters like Lee Chong, a Chinese grocer, Mack and his group of European American young men, Doc, the local scientist, and Dora, a restaurant owner with a team of sex workers. Their interactions reveal a rich tapestry of relationships that transcend their varied backgrounds and economic circumstances.
At the heart of the story is an effort to organize a surprise birthday party for Doc, showcasing the community's ability to unite for a common, meaningful purpose. The novel critiques the prevailing capitalistic values of the time, suggesting that true community arises from bonds of friendship, shared experiences, and ecological awareness rather than economic gain. Mack and his friends engage in temporary work solely to fund the party, emphasizing their prioritization of emotional fulfillment over financial success. Steinbeck highlights that real connections and humanistic values can flourish amidst societal challenges, advocating for a sense of solidarity that respects diverse perspectives within the community. Ultimately, "Cannery Row" illustrates the importance of compassion, celebration, and ecological consciousness in fostering a harmonious society.
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Subject Terms
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
First published: 1945
The Work
InCannery Row, John Steinbeck depicts the precarious survival of a heterogeneous human community in the cannery section of Monterey, California. In emphasizing alternative values to capitalistic greed as the basis for that survival, Steinbeck implies that the only means by which peaceful amalgamation of diverse economic, cultural, and gender groups can occur is through community.
The diversity of Cannery Row is represented by Lee Chong, the Chinese grocer; by the varied group of European American young men, led by Mack, who maintain the Palace Flophouse; by Dora and her girls, prostitutes at the Bear Flag Restaurant; and by Doc, the scientist owner of Western Biological Laboratory. The novel’s rather simple plot concerns efforts to give a surprise birthday party for Doc, the cohesive force within this community. The problems but eventual success of these efforts clarify the alternative values allowing the peaceful transcendence of differences.
The characters in the novel constitute a genuine community because they defy the capitalistic greed and exploitation of Cannery Row. Mack and his friends refuse to work in the canneries except intermittently, and only when there is a specific, emotionally worthwhile objective. Thus, they get jobs in order to acquire enough money for Doc’s party, but quit immediately afterward. Doc says of the group, “They could ruin their lives and get money. . . . They just know the nature of things too well to be caught in that wanting.” Similarly, Doc limits his profitable animal harvesting, recognizing the inherent value of any life-form. This consciousness is symbolized by the floating dead girl Doc sees after his capture of twenty-two little octopi. He is haunted by the girl’s beauty, “the face burned into his picture memory,” representing Doc’s awareness of the natural beauty he has destroyed.
Likewise, Lee Chong and Dora and her girls illustrate the primacy of noneconomic values in any real community. Lee Chong allows Mack and his friends to “rent” the Palace Flophouse (a former storehouse), knowing they will never actually pay him. Also, Lee Chong happily participates in Doc’s successful party despite considerable monetary loss in the failed first attempt. Similarly, Dora and her girls are happiest at the party, presenting to Doc the beautiful quilt they made. Only their economic life causes problems, illustrated by tuna fishermen mistaking Doc’s party for the Bear Flag Restaurant and barging in for service. The ensuing brawl nearly wrecks Western Biological, but affirms that the essence of this human community is beyond economic exploitation. Indeed, Steinbeck’s narrator makes this point in writing that “Mack never visited the Bear Flag professionally. It would have seemed a little like incest to him.” With characters who sublimate materialistic, capitalistic values to friendship, ecological concern, and giving to and celebration of life with others, Steinbeck postulates humanistic values as the solution to California’s cultural, gender, and economic divisions.
Bibliography
Benton, Robert M. “The Ecological Nature of Cannery Row.” In Steinbeck: The Man and His Work, edited by Richard Astro and Tetsumaro Hayashi. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 1971.
French, Warren. John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1994. Thoroughly revises French’s two other books in this Twayne series. Chapters on Steinbeck’s becoming a novelist, his relationship to modernism, his short fiction, his wartime fiction, and his final fiction. Includes chronology, notes, and annotated bibliography.
Hughes, R. S. John Steinbeck: A Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne, 1989. Divided into three sections: Steinbeck’s short stories, the author’s letters exploring his craft, and four critical commentaries. A good study of some of his lesser-known works which includes a chronology, a lengthy bibliography, and an index.
Lisca, Peter. The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New York: Gordian Press, 1958. An indispensable guide to Steinbeck’s work, published in 1958 and then updated with an “Afterword” examining the writer’s last novel The Winter of Our Discontent (1961). Admired and imitated, Lisca’s work set the standard for future Steinbeck studies.
McCarthy, Paul. John Steinbeck. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1980. A short biographical approach to Steinbeck’s work that examines each novel against the forces that shaped his life. Includes a useful chronology, notes, a bibliography, and an index.
Timmerman, John H. John Steinbeck’s Fiction. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1986.