Community Among the Canneries: Interpersonal Connections in Steinbeck's Novel Anonymous 9th Grade

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck is a novel that allows “the stories [to] crawl in by themselves” (Steinbeck 3). Set in Monterey, California during the Great Depression, this piece of fiction follows various characters, all of whom are different from the average protagonist. Steinbeck makes a point to highlight the lives and interactions of people who are commonly viewed as misfits by others. This allows him to accentuate the unique aspects of the community of Cannery Row. Mack and the boys, a group of ingenious men who frequently choose to remain unemployed, decide to throw their friend Doc, an intelligent marine biologist, a party. After making a deal with Lee Chong, the generous yet shrewd grocer, they obtain the materials for the celebration. However, their originally kind-hearted idea turns into a disaster after Doc’s house is trashed before he even arrives. This leads to a series of lamentable events until eventually, they decide to throw another party that turns out to be remarkably successful due to the assistance of the community, thus underscoring the importance of constructive and community-oriented themes in the narrative.

Throughout the course of the novel, Steinbeck presents various themes to the reader including the...