Cannery Row and Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck is a brilliant storyteller capable of crafting such vibrant and captivating literary works that one can effortlessly exit their own life and enter another. John Steinbeck has a passion for divulging the flaws of human nature and he is not afraid to write about the raw and tragic misfortune that plagued the lives of people like the Okies in the Grapes of Wrath and residents of Cannery Row. He was also a brilliant commentator who contributed brilliant opinions on the political and social systems in our world. In heart wrenching words he tells us the story of peoples lives, which were full of love, corruption, faith and growth. However in the novels of Cannery Row and The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck specifically attempts to convey the thematic elements of socialism, survival and the role of women to blatantly present the lifestyle of down trodden migrant workers and the diverse ecosystem of prostitutes, marine biologists, store owners and drunks in a way that is unapologetic and mentally stimulating.

Socialism is a political ideology and lifestyle in which people work collectively to better themselves and society. In Cannery Row John Steinbeck uses Mack and the Boys, a group of unemployed friends to present an aspect of socialism. “ Once in the Palace Flophouse the boys set about furnishing it …. The Palace Flophouse grill began to function. The boys could all sit in front of their door and look across the track and across the lot and across the street”(16). This quote shows the guys working together to build a socialist microcosm and though Mack and the boys are not related they are a family that live together in a fishmeal storage house and they share the constant pursuit of survival. The boys also share simple pleasures of drinking and having a good old time. The men are not selfish and they live a life with more happiness than any wealthy man because they are not consumed with egotistical thoughts and greed. Steinbeck shows how socialism can work effectively when the dominant presence of capitalism is nowhere to be found. Socialism is also beautifully depicted in The Grapes of Wrath where the migrant workers all provide for each other by sharing food, knowledge and the common goal of survival. Steinbeck definitely uses the Joads to show a product of Socialism. Ma hates to refuse food to anyone and Tom and Al gladly help the Wilsons with their car trouble. The migrants understand that they are all connected by their struggles and passions. They strive to make their environment as harmonious as possible because they choose to provide and cooperate for the whole of society. Sadly capitalists are destructive because they become concerned with profit and owning property. Capitalists tend to lose sight of the importance of generosity and compassion. Socialism is used in The Grapes of Wrath to represent the mindset of thousands of migrant workers all over California. Steinbeck flawlessly captures the meaning of socialism through his description of the roadside interactions shared by migrant families. “ They huddled together, they shared their lives, their food and the things they hoped for in the new country… In the evening a strange thing happened the twenty families became one family “(249). This shows the migrant people joining together to make the best of their situation and Steinbeck really wished to convey the mutually beneficial relationship that socialism can provide.

Survival is another element that frequently appears in Steinbeck’s work. In Cannery Row we see how the need for food, shelter, money and social acceptance can lead a human being into prostitution, suicide and other immoral acts. Steinbeck brings us into Dora’s world and her whorehouse in which young women are willing to sell their bodies to live. Though this lifestyle is made as comfortable as possible by Dora’s constant efforts, prostitution is still considered an illegal and unacceptable way to make a living. We also observe even more challenging situations like that of a man named Horace Abbeville. Horace is a man with six kids and a wife, they all live together in a tiny fishmeal storage room. However his financial troubles are over his head and so he decides to offer Lee Chong, the local grocer his small living space to pay off his debt. After living with the burdens of trying to support and provide for his family the pressure becomes all too great and he shoots himself over a pile of fishmeal. Suicide is also observed in a situation in which a man is unable to survive socially. The former bouncer of Dora’s restaurant is presented as a lonely guy always yearning to fit in with Mac and the boys. Sadly his only interactions are with Dora and the girls and he feels that people see him as a “dirty pimp”. His exclusion from the social world led him to commit suicide to escape his despair. Steinbeck also conveys the desire to survive through