One of the interesting things about the writing of John Steinbeck is the way in which such an ostensibly egalitarian writer condescends toward so many of the characters in his novels. The life story of four peasants was told by a writer with a cheerful sense of humor and at the same time was permeated by a sad sympathy for ordinary people, who were noble, honest, faithful to each other, but did not find their place in life. Even though those people live a simple (even poor) life, they are happy, because they are not suffocating from the spirit of commerce and truly life their life. Only the people with clean and pour soul can realize the happiness is probably the major theme of the story.
In Tortilla Flat, the condescension appears to be taking place at the expense of the Mexican characters in the novel. It seems at times as though Steinbeck is trying to get the reader to sympathize with the workers’ plight, but at other times it seems like he is looking right down at his nose at them with the same derision that those employing them did. In this instance, though, it is clear that he is writing more through the vein of the comic folktale rather than the caustic pessimism that, frankly, would not really take hold in American literature for a few more decades.
Paradoxically, firstly it is the story only about two friends and then the more characters (friends) are starting to appear, demonstrated as idlers and vagabonds. The story starts with the fact that one of them, whose name is Danny, by a miracle had inherited a couple of little houses, where he settled. This company is represented as a marginal group, since they could be called as alcoholics, addicted to fight and live nowhere. “Danny was insulted. He walked up Alvarado Street, breaking windows as he went, and in the second block a policeman took him in hand” (Steinbeck 317). Otherwise, they are nice people, and their story is combined of the series of rather cute and funny stories of the lives of these friends, in the spirit of Steinbeck style.
If on tries to compare Steinbeck with O. Henry, for example, the latter perhaps contains less tenderness and lightness. When O. Henry was describing a parody, Steinbeck was talking about reality and real life choice. Steinbeck’s heroes are what they are, and in their social and psychological place. They also have just enough in life, and are represented better than oligarchy of those times. That is why Steinbeck was able to sell so many novels during the worst economic crisis in American history is a testament to the escape that his stories provided.
At the time, the writing of the Spanish dialogue at times turns into an English that appears to be slightly mocking in tone. One can look at this story as a simple comedy, the sort of grist that would soon take the form of “Three Stooges” episodes not long after Steinbeck began his literary career, and the form that Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen and their like are churning out through the movies these days, or that appear in some of the more poorly written sitcoms on television, or one can look it as a more problematic portrayal of the paisanos. Moreover, a careful reading of this book indicates, of course, that there is no racism present in the story. While there is some disdain, it is hard to suggest that Steinbeck is being a racist when he makes fun of his characters in Tortilla Flats. The problem for many modern readers is the mere presence of representations that seem offensive in the novel; the problem for literature teachers and sensible readers is the fact that the story can be about the evils of racism while still containing those portrayals for more of a comic effect than anything else.
In Tortilla Flat, the issue is somewhat more complex. Instead of objecting to the use of a derogatory word, one has to look at the portrayal of the characters themselves. If one takes a look at the way the paisanos appear in the story, it is possible to assume that Steinbeck has used a set of simple racial stereotypes to typify an entire culture, which many modern readers could find offensive. For example, “Race antipathy overcame Danny’s good sense” (Steinbeck 315). However, one could look at the characters as participants in a folk tale. In that genre, characters are allowed to take on a more exaggerated set of mannerisms, and the point is to honor the unique aspects of that culture, rather than to demean them. While there is some humor here, there is nothing to take offense at. After all, there have been many representations of characters over time that take on caricature-type proportions without having any offensive intent. In Tortilla Flats, the reader laughs along with the silliness of the paisanos. If one remembers that Tortilla Flats was written to provide readers with escape from the grim realities of the Great Depression, rather than point out some sort of awful subtext in society of the day, it is easier to understand that the simple point here is comedy and entertainment. There is nothing in the text to support a more malicious view of the presentation of the paisanos in this book – it is just something for the reader to enjoy.
In the final analysis, it is difficult to hold Steinbeck to the same limitations of political correctness to which we hold writers today. One has demarcated comedy into the genres of television and film, in ways that we simply did not in Steinbeck’s era (primarily because television did not exist and film was just in its beginnings – but still contained plenty of slapstick). In that vein, it seems that Tortilla Flat is written much more in fun than the depictions of women seem to have been written in Steinbeck’s later works.
These people, no doubt, are inveterate rogues, thieves and liars, but on the other hand, it did not hurt others. These people are not deprived of kindness and generosity. They had their own secret ‘code of honor’, which describes them as a particular group, they help each other and that is their entire goal! They help Pirate to keep their vow, they help the widow with many children, they support the same poor fellows as they are. At the same time they have their own philosophy of life, where the friendship is more important than money, especially in the time of Big Depression. Even though their life goal was not global, they committed by good works well and fine. Overall, “Danny became a great man, having a house to rent, and Pilon went up a social scale by renting a house” (Steinbeck 387).
Work Cited
Steinbeck, John. Novels And Stories, 1932-1937. New York: Library of America, 1994.
Print.
