Sacrifice In John Steinbeck's Cannery Row

In any form of written work, the author will give each of the character a set of different characteristics. John Steinbeck is no different. He does, however, gives many of his characters a similar, concurrent trait; that trait is dignity. It can be seen in characters of Steinbeck’s books, The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. The Grapes of Wrath is about a family’s journey Oklahoma to California, in hopes of a new life, after being evicted from their previous home. Similarly, Of Mice and Men is about two guys in California who travel together, trying to save money in order to buy a plot of their own land. Character’s from these two books that share the characteristic of having dignity, also share another similarity; they are all

‘When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle” was stated by Edmund Burke. This quote can be tied to the struggles and sacrifices of the migrant workers against the tractor drivers and people who drive them off their own land in Grapes of Wrath. The concept of sacrifice is depicted in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath through the actions of the characters Jim Casy and Tom Joad. In the novel, Jim Casy, a former preacher takes a stand against the deputies who keep forcing the migrant workers to relocate elsewhere and making them unable to unite in one place. Casy’s defiance leads to him sacrificing his life for the fair treatment of what the deputies call “Okies” or those from Oklahoma. Casy’s sacrifice sparks Tom Joad, who was a friend of his and was baptized by him, to take a stand against the unfairness of the deputies. Tom becomes a sacrificial lamb and decides to carry on what Casy tried to do. As you can see, the concept of sacrifice is evident in Jim Casy’s actions when he sacrifices his life to unify the migrant workers against those who try to drive them out and also Tom Joad who decides to risk it as well to finish what Casy

In the novel, Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, depicts the struggles between upper class, middle class, and poor, migrant workers which show how natural human greed and selfishness amongst those with sustainable income increases tension between the separate classes. Steinbeck also uses the empathetic views shared amongst those in the same situations and how it gives them a want to help each other survive. The rich are wasteful with things they are unable to profit from; they cannot stand the poor nor the thought of the stagnation of their company. They are unable to accept a large consistent profit; the business itself is not the monster that begins to die from a constant profit but the greedy humans behind it.

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.

Despite common stereotypes given to the homeless and poor people in a society, these people make up an important role in humanity. As the author of the book Cannery Row, John Steinbeck’s manifestation of cannery row in Monterey California, shows the true potential and personality of the less fortunate members of society. In Steinbeck’s greenhouse of everyday, average people, he gives a representation of society’s key characters. One of the most influential characters in Steinbeck’s book, “Cannery Row” is the group of poor and homeless men who strive for better lives. However, in today's society, the homeless and poor people in a town are often looked at quite differently than Steinbeck’s representations of the minority.

            In the story Cannery Row Loneliness is a main theme to the characters lives.  One of these themes is Loneliness.  'He was a dark and lonesome looking man' No one loved him.  No one cared about him'(Page 6).  The severity of his solitude makes this theme one of the most important.  The seclusion of this man can penetrate ones innermost thoughts and leave them with a sense of belonging after hearing of this

Like how Crooks was telling Lennie about how he has seen tons of men wanting the dream that every man wants but he has never seen anyone do it. With Curley’s wife, she wanted to be an actress and said that she had the opportunity but it was her mom that was holding her back. Yet she was “discovered” at a dancing club which did not seem to give her the clue that it was not for real. This comes to show how today, everyone wants to be famous, actor, singer, internet star, but it is just the real world and not everyone gets to be or gets what they want. Then how Lennie is always in the way of the american dream for him and George. Steinbeck just shows how complicated it is to achieve the american dream and shows how it may not be possible for

Human behavior is a function of the environment that he/she is brought up in because it is the environment that shapes the person’s morals. This statement is openly validated in the novel Cannery Row where an inclusive community is built as a result of good morals that have been developed and shaped by the environment. Cannery Row is novel that was published in 1945 by John Steinbeck in Monterey. It was named after a waterfront street in California which had sardine caning factories. According to Grasse et al (75), fellowship and warm-heartedness is all that is required to form a united and successful community. Wealth is important part of one’s life but it should not take away the person’s happiness. Steinbeck in his work uses the characters of the novel to communicate this message in a clear and understandable manner. The name of the novel matches with the actual meaning that the writer wanted to communicate the readers. He used the name to enable the readers to be able to relate the novel’s actual meaning with authentic opinions.

The minor characters in John Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row are a contradiction within themselves. Steinbeck shows two conflicting sides to each character; for example, Mack is smart and lazy and some of his colleagues are both good and bad. Doc is a father figure with some bad habits. Dora Flood is a kind-hearted saint who happens to run a brothel. Lee Chong is a shrewd businessman who likes to take advantage of others. Henri is an artist with a French background even though he isn’t from France. Through his characters, Steinbeck shows that humans are complicated and can have many faces.

John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” shows how people living there dealt with the hardships brought by the Great Depression. Steinbeck set his novel in the 1930’s in Cannery Row, California. The canneries are an integral part of the fish industry and Steinbeck makes the ailing American economy a critical part of everyone’s lives in his novel. He show how different characters, with different points of view with the exact same situation.

Oftentimes, we must sacrifice the most important things in our lives for the greater good. This idea happens in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. In this novel, two migrant workers, Lennie and George, arrives at their new ranch to earn some money. Lennie is a mentally disabled man, who often gets into trouble. George takes care of Lennie, acting as a parent for him. Both have dreams of living together and owning private property. But their dream gets ruined when Lennie accidentally kills the owner’s daughter-in-law. Before anyone finds Lennie and torture him, George decides to kill Lennie himself. Here is the excerpt from this scene:

Steinbeck wanted to show the effects of land ownership and what pursuing dreams can do to people. This lesson is still true to this day and affects everyone around

Social realism, according to Kevin Attell’s An Overview of Mice and Men, is the main motive why Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men. Most readers would approve of this claim because the evidence Attell conveys to the reader justifies the author’s purpose of creating literary work. Furthermore, Attell brings in themes and concerns that strongly connect to social realism which also ties in with the author’s personal background.

The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck emphasizes the division in social classes and social structure based on power. The novel and its themes are based around the characters’ interactions and decisions. Their motivations come directly from other characters, and the social construct on the ranch that controls the characters within the novel. Each character has their own journey of giving into the powers that control their society and lives which leads to each of their own inescapable demises.

Jai James Ms. Pokorak AP Language and Composition 25 August 2014 The Realistic Utopia The novel Cannery Row, written by John Steinbeck, follows the lives of residents living on Cannery Row in Monterey, California. Life in this area is simple and often lonely, despite the sense of community. Steinbeck manages to create a humorous and light-hearted tale, while occasionally touching on topics such as abortion, abuse, and suicide.