Good People in Cannery Row Essay

whoremaster Steinbecks Cannery Row, on its surface, is a real simplistic book in which its plot does not spend a penny any significant impact on its universe, let al wiz its uses. However, if wizard baron delve deeper into Steinbecks happy subtext and rich overtones, a gentlemans gentleman of bliss and beauty can be found. Cannery Row, is a book where its characters are self-descri enjoy as Whores, Pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches and yet c every last(predicate)ed Saints and angels and martyrs and holy custody on the very selfsame(prenominal) page (405).The point of these contradictions is to com custodyt on societys view of Morality. This is specifically noted when one of the chief(prenominal) Characters, doctor, says It has always seemed strange to meThe things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, under alkaliing and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, mean ness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. When referring a sort of causality homeless men called mackintosh and the boys (505). mack and the boys are a group of bums that live in the row, and often do nothing simply make happy alcohol. These men never do anything necessarily heroic, or daring, or compensate Courageous, but these men are the most moral individuals in the sum of Cannery Row.Through the Scenes following macintosh and the Boys, John Steinbeck develops Idea that despite their drop of ambition, they are viewed as morally upstanding individuals, who have a dogmatic impact on society. With their happy go lucky nature, and unproblematic needs, these men can achieve the impossible. unrivaled might think that they are very unintelligent individuals due to their standard of living, but that couldnt be further than the truth. Time and time again they prove themselves to be concourse that are not only cap fitted, but show extraordinary prowess in c ertain fields. One of these men, for instance was gay. When referring to his mechanical ability, Steinbeck narrates Indeed there are men near Whom a car runs better. And such a one was gay.His fingers on a timer or a carburetor version screw were gentle and wise and sure. The way he listens to the ills of automatons, it is of no impossibleness he could have become a wealthy mechanic, fixing cars in a garage of his owning. Gay Instead esteems his time at the bust house, drinking and talking the day away. All Gay really wants, is to have a good time, and for the others around him to do the same. This is a key member of why gay is a moral citizen of society. Gay is often able to do wrong, but never is willing. Gay lives with an abusive Wife, which constantly get the better of him. He never wants to, but occasionally he has to return the favor.He used to get thrown into jail because of this, but that he care the conditions in jail, so his wife beats him while he sleeps quite/ Ga y, specifically, is an interesting case, because he has a life in which is deeper than one might believe. he is the only one to have a life of suburb waiting for him. Gay lived a world in which he had a house and a loving wife. Through another lens, Gay was confine in a cage with a woman that beats him so much that being put in jail is sweet relief. disrespect this, Gay eventually always choses to go back to his wife.He believes that he is wrong in the situation and returns to his wife trying to be a better man. That truly is the reason why he is an upstanding person. Hes a very humble and simple creature, who proficient wishes to enjoy life. Another Example of such ambition would the leader of the group, Mack. Mack is by far, is the flop houses driving force. When leading the group, he is a moral center, and the speaker of wisdom when alone, he is a very tragic man. Throughout the book, Mack and the boys only ambition was to throw a ships company for medical student, a local good Samaritan. When this ambition ends in failure, he proclaimsIt get dressedt do good to say Im sorry. Ive been sorry all my lifeI had a wifesame thing. Everthing I done turn sour. She couldnt stand it no more. If I done a good thing it got poisoned up some wayI dont do nothin but clown no more. Try to make the boys laugh. (496) Mack seemingly is the only one who doesnt omit ambition by choice. Whilst in with the other, Mack often is the one to set goals, albeit small ones. This is where the true tragedy of his character comes in. No matter what he does, or hard he works, all of his plans inevitably turn to failure. Mack is a man of good intentions, and do of good morals, but he is seemingly cursed with bad luck, and the world contradicts as such. One of Macks greatest qualities is his way with words.A lesser person might use his power of speech trickery to control the populace, and shape the world in his image, but Mack in effect(p) wants to have fun. Whenever he uses this sort of power, he is always talking astir(predicate) doing something for somebody else. The adventures of Mack and the boys is filled with irony Gay having a wife that beats him, Hazel likes conversation, but hates talking, or having a ships company for someone who doesnt attend. Perhaps the most ironic of all is that despite their lack of ambition and lazy attitude, their actions Influence everyone around them. All throughout cannery row, people would look on to these men, and get inspired in some way.One of the greatest examples of such inspiration is the aforementioned Doc. Even though Mack and the Boys destroyed his home by throwing a party for him, without him, he relieve holds them in high regard. The sale of souls to gain the whole world is totally voluntary and almost unanimousbut not quiteYou hump how they tried to grant me a party and it went wrong. But they wanted to give me a party. That was their impulse. (505). What Doc is saying here, is that he respects the lif estyle that Mack and the Boys have chosen, and thinks of them as moral even though things dont go their way. This isImplied in a number of ways. Initially, he denotes the idea of throwing the party was on a whim of theirs. This is a Reference to the continuing design of their lack of aspiration. Mack and the Boys dont do things for certain reasons, they just decide to act whence they get the inspiration.Furthermore, he begins with a fable comparing the Consumerist system, a spatial relation where you have to work for a place you often hate, to selling your soul, giving away your humanly essence and personality. This fiction works soundly contrasting with the boys, to those who seemingly suffer from working into monotony. Doc is implicating that their way of spontaneity is a way wherein they have the capability to do good. Steinbeck often uses these sections with Doc to illustrate the importance of the boys actions. Whenever Doc speaks of them, he outlines how business men are s ick men, and how the boys are sinewy and strangely clean (504).Mack and the boys dont have that ache that humans often have. That hunger for Silver stitching and velvet bed sheets. Steinbeck uses a group of happy homeless men as a symbol for the importance of caring for one another, while living in the moment. Mack and the boys outline how to do well in life, without selling ones soul for wealth and power. Morality is often a sleek subject to tackle and often when it is tackled, its not done wellBut Steinbeck has it pegged. One might think that things such as be considerate of one another and be humble would be simple Ideologies for a book to go behind, Steinbeck does it justice. Cannery Row Shows just how people react to good deeds, as misguided as they are. John Steinbecks Cannery Row, on its surface, is a very simplistic book, but it is so much more.