The Male Voice In Steinbeck's Cannery Row
In The Silent Women and the Male Voice in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row by Paul Hintz, he mentions about the voice unheard in Cannery Row and that the entire novel’s voice is Male. The author is male but that doesn’t mean the voice has to be male. This seems like a sexist option on the voice of the novel. Also that whenever a female is talking a male voice is near them. This has become an underlining theme in the novel. I think the female’s voice is heard because of the male voices, making the female voice not hidden actually. An example of this hidden vice would be seen in the relationship between Mack and Dora. As this could be an uncertain
One of the points Hintz mentions is the inter-relationship is the power to sell. Everyone in Cannery Row
has something to sell in some form or fashion. This critic mentions about the “unlike the silent, absent, unnamed wife of the “captain” in the frog-hunting episode”. This is Mack, who led the frog-hunting for Doc. The wife of this “captain” seems to be hidden. Hintz reveals the wife of Mack as Dora. In chapter 21, Doc asks Mac about his wife and where so went to. Mack replies “I don’t know...she went away” (133). This does not say who his wife is to the readers. Steinbeck does not draw this line to the character in plane site. There is a time where the connection becomes clearer to the audience if they are paying attention. Like in chapter 23 page 194, is when Mack officially goes to the Bear Flag Restaurant. This is when Mack and Dora interact, but not in a couple way. This interactions seems like total business. This could hide the relationship has to Dora (for professionalism maybe?) Well actually, “[m]ack never visited the Bear Flag professionally. It would have seemed a little like incest to him”. This interaction is for business not a sandwich.
Hintz makes the connection that Dora is Mack’s wife and “[She] has the right to speak because she speaks with a Male voice” .The connection of a women’s voice being heard is due to the male voice that is near the female. Whenever a female is talking in the novel from Dora to even the dog Darling, their voice seems to be heard due to the male’s voice. If it wasn’t for the males in this novel, I don’t think the female voice would be heard. The male voice seems to open the floor for any story of a female’s voice.
One of the points Hintz mentions is the inter-relationship is the power to sell. Everyone in Cannery Row
has something to sell in some form or fashion. This critic mentions about the “unlike the silent, absent, unnamed wife of the “captain” in the frog-hunting episode”. This is Mack, who led the frog-hunting for Doc. The wife of this “captain” seems to be hidden. Hintz reveals the wife of Mack as Dora. In chapter 21, Doc asks Mac about his wife and where so went to. Mack replies “I don’t know...she went away” (133). This does not say who his wife is to the readers. Steinbeck does not draw this line to the character in plane site. There is a time where the connection becomes clearer to the audience if they are paying attention. Like in chapter 23 page 194, is when Mack officially goes to the Bear Flag Restaurant. This is when Mack and Dora interact, but not in a couple way. This interactions seems like total business. This could hide the relationship has to Dora (for professionalism maybe?) Well actually, “[m]ack never visited the Bear Flag professionally. It would have seemed a little like incest to him”. This interaction is for business not a sandwich.
Hintz makes the connection that Dora is Mack’s wife and “[She] has the right to speak because she speaks with a Male voice” .The connection of a women’s voice being heard is due to the male voice that is near the female. Whenever a female is talking in the novel from Dora to even the dog Darling, their voice seems to be heard due to the male’s voice. If it wasn’t for the males in this novel, I don’t think the female voice would be heard. The male voice seems to open the floor for any story of a female’s voice.