John Steinbeck's "Tortilla Flat"

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at John Steinbeck's "Tortilla Flat" and its portrayal of the paisanos community during the Great Depression. It discusses the positive image of the paisanos that Steinbeck helped create and the moral message he tried to convey in his novel. The main characters are described and much of the plot, when relevant to the characters, summarized.

From the Paper:

"Not everyone critiqued the book, as Robert De Mott tells us. One of his co-workers at his university is quoted as saying. "You might like Tortilla Flat," he said. "It's about a bunch of paisanos who raise hell all the time and have trouble fitting in with society. Steinbeck wrote about underdogs, and he got kicked out of college so often he never finished." ( DeMott, Robert. Steinbeck's Typewriter: Essays on His Art. Troy, NY: Whitston, 1996). One of the main characters of the book is Danny. He is the main protagonist of Tortilla Flat. The story of tortilla flat revolves around him. Danny is just an ordinary ruffian who likes to hang out with friends."

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