Literature Review – Steinbeck's "Tortilla Flat"
American Classic Lit Bearing Themes of Poverty, Love, Friendship
Jul 24, 2009
An interesting and humorous volume of work, John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat, a ribald and intriguing story about the community of the same name which is comprised of poverty stricken Mexicans who live in the poorest quarter of Monterey, California.
Poverty, Vice, Pranks, and Paisanos
Danny is the bold and daring protagonist, always reputed to be honourable and vigorous in his pursuit of wine, women, and fisticuffs – the three pursuits that matter most to a paisano – a paisano being described early in the novel by Steinbeck as "a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican, and assorted Caucasion bloods ... he speaks English with a paisano accent and Spanish with a paisano accent ... His color, like that of a well-browned meerschaum pipe, he ascribes to sunburn." (pp. 2)
An ex-soldier who finds himself immediately thrown into the local jail after breaking a row of windows in a rage, Danny immediately lucks into possession of not one, but two houses in Tortilla Flat. After meeting a string of friends – Pilon, Pablo, Jesus Maria Corcoran, Big Joe, and The Pirate – the adventures of the group of fellows begins in earnest.
The novel is structured in such a way that it is reminiscent of the tales of Arthurian legend, with the exploits of the paisanos being presented in episodic fashion. With complete disregard for convention, the law, or social norms the paisanos are constantly thieving and selling items for a gallon of wine, enticing women into bed with promises of the very same wine, and generally living their lives in idyllic peace and poverty.
Themes, Character Driven Narratives, Comedy and Tragedy
Tortilla Flat is possessed of an impetus that is extremely subtle, a movement towards theme that truly only begins to evolve in the latter half of the rather short novel. Perhaps most striking is the episode detailing the plight and redemption of the Pirate, a simple and eccentric man who has befriended five dogs as constant companions and is later given a home by Danny and the others.
Every morning the Pirate cuts a load of wood and wheels it down into Monterey, selling the load for twenty five cents – for he has promised a golden candle to the San Francisco de Assisi which will cost a thousand such quarters – in return for the miracle of the Saint having saved his very ill dog from death via a timely miracle. The same dog was struck by a car and killed not a few weeks later, but no matter, the promise had been made.
Following not only a heartwarming show of integrity by the friends (who beat the would-be thief of the money, Big Joe, soundly for his efforts) but also a warm reception from Father Ramon and the congregation as the dogs burst into the church during mass to join the Pirate in seeing his new golden candle upon the altar – the Pirate is amazed to find that not only does Saint Francis love men, but he also loves dogs equally. St. Francis is, of course, the patron saint of animals and the environment. The Pirate is elated by such unconditional acceptance and a sense of belonging.
It is apparent throughout the novel that the Pirate, a man often abused and taken advantage of by others due to his lack of intelligence and social grace, wants only to find acceptance and equality – both for himself and for his companions. Finding it not only in the house of friends, but also in his faith and his religion, the Pirate's simple soul is truly set at ease by Father Ramon and the kind faces of his congregation.
The Death of a Hero, Danny's Fellowship Broken
Danny himself exemplifies the raging fight against choking poverty, the notion of acceptance of one's lot in life coupled with the fire and passion that burns within the human spirit to rebel against authority, the social order. The penultimate tale in the novel features the friends working for a full week cutting squid to provide gallons upon gallons of wine for Danny's party – a party designed to shake him loose from a constant grip of apathy and alienation.
Danny's last evening at this party becomes legendary amongst the paisanos of Tortilla flat, he drinks more than any human could, he satisfies nearly every woman who attends, and the fights become all out brawls of cameraderie.
It is, as he storms into the woods to find an unseen opponent, the flame of his death. Falling off a ledge, Danny tumbles to his end. His friends are too poor to afford even the barest of clothes to properly attend his funeral.
The remaining friends, having lost all sense of direction as a group without a leader, burn the remaining house down (they'd previously burned the other house down, accidentally!). This time, their intentions are clear, laid bare by Steinbeck's succinct prose.
"Thus it must be, O wise friends of Danny. The cord that bound you together is cut. The magnet that drew you has lost its virtue. Some stranger will own the house, some joyless relative of Danny's. Better that this symbol of holy friendship, this good house of parties and fights, of love and comfort, should die as Danny died, in one last glorious, hopeless assault on the Gods." (pp. 151)
And so, like the fellowship of the Round Table, the paisanos of Tortilla Flat left the blaze, no two walking together.
Recommended Reading, English Literature
Fans of John Steinbeck's work may appreciate literature reviews of The Moon is Down, or perhaps The Pearl. Those looking for older works may be more interested in a discussion of Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus".
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