The Opening Chapter Of Cannery Row By John Steinbeck
The opening chapter of Cannery Row, written by John Steinbeck describes and introduces the setting and the characters of the book in very detail and gives a little hint of what is about to occur in the following chapters.
The chapter starts with introducing the setting which is Cannery Row, in Monterey, California. The writer had portrayed the place very realistically as somehow nostalgic and sort of poetic with a tone. There is a lot happening explained in very detail and descriptively. It feels like the narrator knows this place well.
As it states in the text the narrator sees splintered wood and how the place is all covered with tin, iron, rust and chipped pavement implying that the place might be very old and uncared for after time. There
are all sorts of people like such as the low class with gamblers and pimps and the higher class with the superintendents and accountants. In other words the line between these classes is very noticeable and clear.
Other different senses are also described in detail, for example hearing. There is assumably a lot of commotion going on as there are a lot of people running through the streets doing their jobs, screaming, rumbling and rattling evidently heard.
It is very interesting as how metaphors are used in the opening chapter. A good example of that would be how the John Steinbeck compares delicate flat worms which are almost impossible to catch as whole and need to be given time to crawl in to how to write that exact book.
John Steinbeck has used very intriguing and peculiar language in the opening chapter which well gives a hint on what’s to show up later. He uses the word “and” a lot and in places where it is grammatically wrong but it gives more depth to the story and shows that peculiarity of his writing style.
The chapter starts with introducing the setting which is Cannery Row, in Monterey, California. The writer had portrayed the place very realistically as somehow nostalgic and sort of poetic with a tone. There is a lot happening explained in very detail and descriptively. It feels like the narrator knows this place well.
As it states in the text the narrator sees splintered wood and how the place is all covered with tin, iron, rust and chipped pavement implying that the place might be very old and uncared for after time. There
are all sorts of people like such as the low class with gamblers and pimps and the higher class with the superintendents and accountants. In other words the line between these classes is very noticeable and clear.
Other different senses are also described in detail, for example hearing. There is assumably a lot of commotion going on as there are a lot of people running through the streets doing their jobs, screaming, rumbling and rattling evidently heard.
It is very interesting as how metaphors are used in the opening chapter. A good example of that would be how the John Steinbeck compares delicate flat worms which are almost impossible to catch as whole and need to be given time to crawl in to how to write that exact book.
John Steinbeck has used very intriguing and peculiar language in the opening chapter which well gives a hint on what’s to show up later. He uses the word “and” a lot and in places where it is grammatically wrong but it gives more depth to the story and shows that peculiarity of his writing style.