The theme of poverty in cannery row essay

Lower income is an important theme in Steve Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. Set in the 1920s through the Great Depression, low income is a great overarching element of life in the down-and-out community of Cannery Row. A backdrop intended for the publication, Cannery Row is a place where low income affects everyone and every thing. In spite of ever-present poverty, those of Cannery Row make do with what tiny they have. This brief essay is going to discuss the role that poverty performs in Cannery Row and conclude with important lessons John Steinbeck offers concerning poverty and human nature.

Cannery Line is a lowdown coastal community in California, beset by poverty and decay. Accordingly “its inhabitants happen to be, as the person once explained, ‘whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches’, by which he intended Everybody.  (Steinbeck 1)Described as a foul-smelling tape of land opposite the sardine fishery, the habitants of Cannery Row make do with what very little they have and work together, in spite of their insolvent existence.

Even though the characters of Cannery Line may not include material possessions, they come together and reside in relative a harmonious relationship.

The area grocerShelter Chong, is relatively wealthy as compared with the other characters in Cannery Row, and he stretches credit to individuals of this rundown community, realizing that they do not always have the methods to always pay money for their purchases.

Although not evident at first sight, Lee Chong can be described as generous man and “over the span of the years everyone¦owed him funds. He hardly ever pressed his clients.  (Steinbeck 3)Despite the poverty of Cannery Row, Lee extends credit to all. Accordingly, “No one is actually sure whether Lee ever receives the money he could be owed or perhaps if his wealth comprised entirely of unpaid debt, but this individual lives easily and does genuine business inside the Row (Steinbeck 43). He won’t hassle his debtors and it is content to settle-back and await payment. His generosity even reaches up to helping Mack and the kids fund a home.

Mack and the kids are “bums: homeless males without girlfriends or wives, families or jobs. Despite their position as outcasts and social undesirables, Mack great boys will be content with their very own social circumstance and are not really angry about their impoverished lives. Actually their total lack of financial resources does not lessen their ability to plan a thing nice for their friend Doc or with excitement set up shop in Lee Chong’s storage shed, incongruously renamed “The Palace Flophouse and Barbeque grill. 

Mack is a good person at heart great intentions are often good although he as well prone to laying, stealing and deceiving. An important example of this is when Mack and the young boys discover that all their new car does not have a proper license plate, they “hung a cloth permanently and accidentally around the rear menu to hide their vintage and in addition “dabbed the leading plate with good, thick mud in order to deceive the unsuspecting law enforcement officials (J. C. R. 526)

Vice and poverty as well seem to get hand-in-hand in Cannery Row. Prostitution is shown in the novel as being located around the Bear Flag, the area brothel where prostitution is the best. Dora’s girls, because they are affectionately named, work in a company which is universally described as sinful and exactly where they would generally be regarded as social outcasts. In spite of their current position in every area of your life, they, along with Dora, are important users of the Cannery Row community and take on to act since nursemaids and feed associates of the area when sickness strikes. The people of Cannery Row work together when the going gets tough, since shown the moment Phyllis Mae and Dora’s other prostitutes band with each other during the autorit? epidemic.

Steinbeck leaves us with some crucial lessons, specifically with regards to wealth and being human. Even though the personas are raw, perceived of as outcasts and they exist in desperate poverty, those of Cannery Row job to help one another.

Camaraderie is a crucial theme structured on Steinbeck. Even if their particular plans do not actually materialize and they don’t have all the profit the world to handle their special projects, the individuals of Cannery Row try to help one another and are encouraged by many advantages and not greed. They may not have a lot but they make do with what they may have. Although materially quite poor, the residents of Cannery Row share a common humanity and a richness which cannot be bought.

Functions Cited

Camp, C. L. “Reviewed function: Cannery Row by Ruben Steinbeck. California Folk traditions Quarterly. 4: two (Apr., 1945): 203-204.

527. C. Ur. “Review.  The Kenyon Review. 7: several (Summer, 1945): 526-527.

Levant, Howard. “Tortilla Flat: The Shape of John Steinbeck’s Career. PMLAeighty-five: 5 (Oct., 1970): 1087-1095.

Steinbeck, Ruben. CanneryRow. New york city: Penguin, 93.

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