Cannery Row Dbq

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“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream” (Steinbeck 1). Cannery Row by John Steinbeck is a descriptive novel detailing the lives of those who live in Cannery Row. Steinbeck introduces the story with Lee Chong, the owner of a grocery everyone is indebted to. As payment for a debt, Lee Chong receives the Abbeville building. Mack and his friends later come in and ask to stay there, claiming they will pay rent. Although Lee Chong knows this is a lie, he agrees anyway, since the property could end up destroyed had he disagreed. The story continues with Mack and the boys trying to do nice deeds for Doc, the owner of Western Biological Laboratory. Steinbeck explains the ups and downs of their lives and at the same time, describes the lives of the other …show more content…

Steinbeck shows how the town of Cannery Row is filled with residents that know and care for each other. From giving gifts to fellow neighbors or simply saying hello, Cannery Row certainly has a convivial and hospitable effect on those who live there. He additionally proves that words can have a powerful effect when used at their full potential. Characters such as Mack constantly use manipulation to solve their problems with ease. Finally, Steinbeck uses Cannery Row to explain that one can plan carefully and cautiously, and yet trouble can still brew around the corner and ruin everything. Cannery Row is a just a story, however it represents important aspects of life. The friendships people have, the way one can change a situation just by talking, and the knowledge that nothing can be completely controlled are all realistic parts of life that sometimes people ignore. Steinbeck did not just simply acknowledge it. He wrote about it to let the world see it too. People, words, and fate are all features of life Cannery Row opens one’s eyes

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