Cannery Row

We've finished Cannery Row. Both students read it and my son really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, the other student didn't like it! I'm always shocked when someone doesn't like a book by one of my favorite authors - and I told her so in a playful way. She shook her head "nothing happens in this story" . That's true, I said - and then we launched into a discussion on exactly what Cannery Row is about. Does it have a plot? Not much - but isn't it  a snapshot of life at the low end of society? Aren't Mac and the Boys Everyman? We talked about this for a bit. I shared that the reason I adore this book is because Steinbeck makes the characters so real that one feels like they'll be sitting there looking over your shoulder when you look up from the book! She acknowledged that.... a bit grudgingly...

 

She wanted some plot. I asked her what was a book she really liked and she started off exuberantly praising Cry, the Beloved Country. I had read that in high school and had really disliked it - but my student made it sound intriguing so I said I would read it and let her know what I thought in the next class. The we went back to Cannery Row.

 

Over the last two weeks they had two assignments. One was to write a 2 - 3 page paper on Cannery Row considering the following questions - was it a positive novel? what do the characters represent? what does Steinbeck think of his characters and of people? Do the inhabitants of Cannery Row have a moral code? How do they live by it - or fail to live by it?

 

The second paper was to take a scene in the book and then spin off an imaginary scene. Doc drives off to collect marine specimens - the trip to his destination is described and certain things happen - but his journey back is not in the book - he just returns to Cannery Row. The students had to really live into the character and make a believable scene - and try to imitate Steinbeck's style. This is what my son wrote.

(scroll down to the bottom of the page, after Nina's poetry).

 

And I did read Cry, the Beloved Country - and really enjoyed it. My student and I talked about the wonders of the narrative - Paton's style and the simplicity and power of the story itself. Then I thought about why I might not have liked it when I was a teen - I think I didn't get it. I think the people and the setting were too remote from my experience for me to relate. But now, as a "worldly" adult, I was really moved by this book which is probably no longer considered PC which, if that's true, is just too bad. I think it's wonderful and I shall see if I can get Gabriel to read it over the summer. He knows a bit more about South Africa than I did at his age - I think it will amazxe him that it was written before apartheid really became all pervasive (1946). He knows about Nelson Mandela because he is someone I have talked about a lot - so I think Gabriel will be in a better place to work with this book than I was. I will also find a good book for him from a black South African point of view, to help him with context and with historical change. If anyone has any suggestions, I am open!