I had high hopes when I started reading Cannery Row. This is due to the fact that I had already previously read Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat and The Grapes of Wrath. Both were very thoughtful and engaging novels while the latter is probably the best book I’ve ever read. Focusing on the struggle of the working man, these novels both drew out sympathy from me for the characters and their plight. Surprisingly enough, Cannery Row was able to do the same without the depressing mood that permeated these novels. John Steinbeck’s writing style and use of regionalism makes his novel Cannery Row engaging and thought provoking.
The use of regionalism in Cannery Row is important in creating the setting in the novel. Cannery Row is an actual place in Monterey, California that was originally called Ocean View Avenue when Steinbeck live there. It is a waterfront street that was originally home to sardine-canning factories. The novel begins by describing Cannery Row as “a stink, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream” (Steinbeck 405). Steinbeck immediately emphasizes the importance and uniqueness of the setting. In addition to its uniqueness, it is presented as an inaccessible place that doesn’t welcome those who do not belong there. Throughout the novel, the narration rarely leaves Cannery Row and when it does it always returns; resulting in an added a sense of importance to the setting. The Row’s isolation connects it to its inhabitants in such a way, it makes it seem that these characters wouldn’t act the way they do anywhere else. Equally as important as the setting are the characters in the novel. As is typical in regionalism, the characters represent stereotypes and are described as “‘whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches’” (405). In the novel, the everyday routine of these characters is described in detail. It is in this description and dissection that Steinbeck captures the essence of the novel. The characters embody a nostalgic laziness that I couldn’t help but appreciate. The use of regionalism helps Steinbeck capture the spirit of Cannery Row and its denizen’s “everyman” existence.
Steinbeck’s writing style reiterates the importance of the characters’ interactions in the novel. Instead of focusing on a plot, Steinbeck instead focuses on the character’s relationships, around which the plot is conceived. In place of a problem that needs to be solved, or a genuine struggle or plight driving the plot; seemingly unimportant events that occur in the characters’ dealings with one another are used instead. One such relationship is that of Lee Chong, the local grocer, and the boys, a band of ne’er-do-wells. When the boys need a place to stay they offer to pay rent to Lee to use an abandoned building as their home, and while Lee knows he won’t get the rent, he allows them to stay anyways (411). This focus on interaction between characters is present throughout the novel and builds a sense of camaraderie between the citizens of Cannery Row. It is the existence of this warm-heartedness and sense of obligation the residents of Cannery Row have towards each other that drives the plot and makes the novel so sentimental. In addition to his focus on characters’ relationships, Steinbeck also uses interspersed anecdotes to introduce characters and dark twists into the novel. These instances occur sporadically and frequently interrupt the romanticized contentment of the lower class that lives in Cannery Row. An example of this would be the conversation between two boys, Willard and Joey who live in Cannery Row. In an attempt to provoke Joey into a fight, Willard makes fun of the fact that Joey’s father killed himself after failing to find a job for a year (520). It was moments like these that made Cannery Row such an interesting book. It is within these chapters, usually having no correlation to the plot, that Steinbeck conveys his themes of human suffering and hardship. He adds a broader scope to his novel without forcing himself to expand into a larger plot. Steinbeck’s writing style of alternating focus make Cannery Row an absorbing novel.
Through his use of regionalism and a distinct writing style, Steinbeck creates a compelling novel. Cannery Row was as intellectually satisfying as Tortilla Flat and even The Grapes of Wrath. However, it was the sense of nostalgia within Cannery Row that made it stand out the most. Instead of simply telling me a story, Cannery Row painted pictures in my mind in a way not many novels have.
