The use of anecdote in cannery row literature essay samples. Most of the book takes place in cannery row, so cannery row is a pretty safe choice for a name butbear with uswhat if the book were called docs party okay, thats pretty dumb or mack and the boys. See plot diagram summary mack gets an idea mack and the other bums of cannery row move into an old building owned by lee chong, a grocer. Cannery row summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes.
Cannery row study guide from litcharts the creators of. Sweet thursday, the sequel to cannery row, was published in 1954. They do it right this time, and cannery row pulls out the stops to make it one stupendous party. Cannery row, of all steinbecks novellas, is the simplest story. The book ends as doc, happy but maybe a little wistful, too, cleans up after the big shindig. Probably the most upstanding citizen in the area is doc, a marine biologist who earns a living primarily by collecting and selling marine specimens for research. Since the focus of cannery row is more about the characters and the scene that steinbeck is setting than the plot, the first chapter deals largely with setting up the mood of the novel. Cannery row essays are academic essays for citation.
It is set during the great depression in monterey, california, on a street lined with sardine canneries that is known as cannery row. The vignettes and anecdotes interspersed throughout john steinbecks cannery row may, at first sight, seem tangential. The book is set on a street in monterey, california called cannery row. May 20, 2014 john steinbecks astute observations of american life is part of his broad appeal and why his novels remain a staple in many high school literature classes. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of cannery row. After a low period for all of cannery row, mack and the boys get it together to throw doc another party, one that he can actually attend. Plot synopsis of john steinbecks 1945 novel cannery row, from steinbeck in the schools. Cannery row is a 1982 american comedydrama film directed by david s.
The pool contains the whole gamut of lifefrom procreation, to struggle, to deathall while exuding beauty. I never read cannery row in school and was well into my 30s the first time i read it. First published in 1945, john steinbecks classic novel cannery row paints a picture of west coast neighborhood life in the era following the great depression. Oct 05, 2011 i loved it and to my mind it fits admirably an immediate need in our seasons lists, the need for a richly patterned story spun out of another layer of that peculiar underworld with which steinbeck is at his best.
Cannery row plot synopsis steinbeck in the schools san. Mack hits on the idea that they should throw a thankyou party, and the entire community quickly becomes involved. Probably the most upstanding citizen in the area is doc, a marine biologist who earns a. The way the humanity of the charactersnone of having very much in the way of material possessionsis gently revealed through the subtle building of the plot is a joy to read. Then steinbeck would be telling us that a certain character or group of characters is maybe more important than the others, and more important than the setting. With nick nolte, debra winger, audra lindley, frank mcrae.
Cannery row 1945, one of steinbecks best and most widely read fictional works, immortalized cannery row as a oneofakind neighborhood of fish packing plants, bordellos and flophouses, and made it the most famous street in america. Cannery row is difficult to summarize accurately given its shifting chronology and the occurrence of interchapters that are unrelated to the main narrative, but the general outline of the novel is as follows lee chong, the main grocer of cannery row, agrees to allow mack and his group of itinerant men to reside in an old warehouse he has acquired. The movie is adapted from john steinbecks novels cannery row 1945 and sweet thursday 1954. Two things they are not is colorful and romantic, and when the greek chorus of winos and bums marches onscreen in cannery row, we know the movie is in trouble. He is erudite and cerebral, but he also loves beer and gets along with everyone. The story takes a glimpse into the lives of the residents of cannery row, which is situated in monterey, california. Learn about the different symbols such as tide pool in cannery row and how they contribute to the plot of the book. Cannery row is a place that depends on canning sardines. Buy a cheap copy of cannery row book by john steinbeck. Get all the key plot points of john steinbecks cannery row on one page. Mack and his friends are trying to do something nice for their friend doc, who has been good to them without asking for reward. In cannery row, john steinbeck uses humor in the storys plot and characters to show the lives of downontheirluck residents of this seaside area. Cannery row is difficult to summarize accurately given its shifting chronology and the occurrence of interchapters that are unrelated to the main narrative, but the general outline of the novel is as follows.
And if you like cannery row, sweet thursday is the sequel. Chapter 12 is a diversion from the main plot, one of the frequent sidesteps into the vortex of life that makes up the workingclass town of cannery row. John steinbecks astute observations of american life is part of his broad appeal and why his novels remain a staple in many high school literature classes. Cannery row plot synopsis steinbeck in the schools. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of cannery row by john steinbeck. Wondering how he can accurately portray what its like to live in. Cannery row plot synopsis steinbeck in the schools san jose.
Nearly ten years after steinbeck published cannery row, he put out sweet thursday, a sequel that follows doc, mack, and many of the novels other characters. Cannery row was written by john steinbeck and published in 1945. Lee chong got it in exchange for settling a debt to a customer who then shot himself in the old warehouse. Once again, as in tortilla flat, he makes no effort to stress social significance.
Learn more about cannery row with a detailed plot summary and plot diagram. Cannery row in monterey, california, sometime between the great depression and world war ii. Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of cannery row discover rewards unknown in more traditional society. Read cannery row online free by john steinbeck pnovels.
People in cannery row depend on, or profit from, one another. They can be friendly at times, but sometimes hostile. Cannery row by john steinbeck goodreads share book. Yet they are fundamental to the novel, not least because the plot linethrowing a party for docwould be insufficient to sustain a short story, let alone a fulllength novel. To be sure, one can strain at his underlying meanings and say that such people should.
This summary of cannery row includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Doc, the owner of western biological, is a scientist and the most beloved person living on cannery row. Arnold schwarzenegger this speech broke the internet and most inspiring speech it changed my life. Mack, the leader of a group of local bums, decides that he wants to do something nice for doc, a marine biologist and neighborhood genius, so he throws doc a party in his lab. Whereas cannery row takes place sometime before world war ii, sweet thursday is set in the aftermath of the war, from which doc has recently returned. Cannery row depicts life in a depressed california fishing town, with the story culminating with the owner of a chinese grocery, ladies in a civicminded bordello, a household of grownup delinquents, and assorted other characters coming together to give lonely doc, owneroperator of a marine research facility, a tremendous birthday party. Cannery row is a street populated by canning factories in monterey, california. Ms oh waily when i read steinbecks of mice and men back in 2012 i meant to follow up immediately with this relatively slim novel. In cannery row, john steinbeck uses humor in the storys plot and characters to show the lives of downontheirluck residents of this seaside. In chapters throughout the book, from the opening introduction to the final chapter, cannery row is a place that takes on human importancea place that. Mack and his boys move in and christen their new place the palace flophouse and grill.
The best study guide to cannery row on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes. And, it is the place that allows the stories and the characters to develop. Biological, he puts on a record of gregorian music and washes dishes. Good people in cannery row john steinbecks 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. Lee chong, the main grocer of cannery row, agrees to allow mack and his group of itinerant men to reside in an old warehouse he has. I dont know how you can take a great story and ruin it like that. An interactive data visualization of cannery rows plot and themes. Cannery row is a novel by american author john steinbeck, published in 1945. The book is essentially a portrait of a certain place and time, which comes to life with the group of characters who are mostly all pretty low on the economic ladder.
You cant separate the plot from the setting anymore than you could pick the dirt out of the chewing gum on the bottom of your shoe. Cannery row john steinbeck 1001 books to read before. Similarly, the book is dripping in nostalgia, not to mention sentimentality. Cannery row by john steinbeck short summary essay 423 words. Cannery row departs from a traditional cohesive plot structure.
Cannery row the section of town where the now closed fish canneries are located is inhabited primarily by the down and out, although many would not move away even if they could. Both the length and the storytelling quality of steinbecks cannery row make it a perfect book for reading aloud. Steinbecks style is intended to impart a feeling of immediacy and exploration rather than a refined story. Rather, it is an attempt to capture the feeling and people of a place, the cannery district of monterey, california, which is populated by a mix of those down on their luck and those who choose for other reasons not to live up the hill in the more respectable area of town. Perfect prep for cannery row quizzes and tests you might have in school. Cannery row, one of his most endearing short novels, is ideal for a book group looking for a classic american novel. They are sick, they are liceridden, they are often prematurely senile, and sometimes they are so far gone theyre not even tragic anymore, just wasted. Cannery row opens at daybreak on the row when all over the town men and women scramble into their clothes and come running down to the row to go to work 12. This short novel is about a community of people who live on a certain strip in montereys cannery row. Less than twohundred, easytoread pages, its imagery and voice come to life when read orally by a good reader. Welcome to cannery row, where everyones pretty poor and friendships are close. It presents a slice of the lives of the men and women who populate a strip of sardine canneries after the workers go home. The grapes of wrath, which garnered him significant critical acclaim, including a pulitzer prize and a national book award. Sadly i moved on and cannery row had to wait until now.
There is as much good and evil, and success and failure, in the pool as there is in cannery row. Cannery row read online free by john steinbeck novels22. Then, when the record finishes, he picks up the book of poetry he read the night before and reads aloud once again. Cannery row may be sentimental but it is far from shallow books. He has women around but does not enter into serious relationships. Cannery row john steinbecks story cannery row is basically a story that actually has no mystery yet has a story that has a mixture of humor and sadness. This highly anecdotal film centers upon doc nick nolte, a selfemployed marine biologist who lives by the ocean and interacts with the neighborhood denizens, trying to conceal a troubled past. These constitute subplots that unfold concurrently with the main plot. I loved it and to my mind it fits admirably an immediate need in our seasons lists, the need for a richly patterned story spun out of another layer of that peculiar underworld with which steinbeck is at his best. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to. In chapters throughout the book, from the opening introduction to the final chapter, cannery row is a place that takes on human importancea place that allows all of the humans in it to be who they are, without fear.