Why Cannery Row Is a Classic

Book Title: Cannery Row

Author: John Steinbeck

Number of Pages: 196

What exactly makes a classic novel? To be considered a classic, any given novel has to meet four major criteria--morality, effective language, timelessness, and universality. Cannery Row, by Salinas-based author John Steinbeck, bas an abundance of these four qualities.

Starting off, morality refers to the fact that the novel gives a more meaningful message than "Cherry strudel is the best dessert ever." The author of a classic novel would draw attention to the quirks and oddities of humans, and either praise or condemn a certain quality through his or her story. In Cannery Row, Steinbeck shows that all that is needed to create happiness is warm-heartedness, honesty, and good friends. Mack and the boys, a group of friendly misfits, work with grocer Lee Chong, restaurant owner Dora and her employees to organize a party to thank Doc, a benevolent man whom almost everyone in the town is indebted to. Their first attempt goes out of control, when there is no order in the party and it becomes a full-out brawl. Doc's home is trashed, and although the it wasn't only the boys' fault, they are held responsible for it, and they become social outcasts. When bad times come upon the town, Doc is more helpful than ever, and the boys want to show their gratitude again. They learn that working together will help them, and they keep the party as simple as possible, finally making it a success. Obviously, Cannery Row passes the test of morality.

The next criterium, effective language is simple. Steinbeck uses simple, yet fresh and forceful words that draw the reader in. He also uses a bit of humor. The language in this book is easy to comprehend, unlike the dry words of Dickens and Austen. On the other hand, it isn't the common street talk used in other books these days. The humorous elegance of Steinbeck's writing screams classic to me. For example, this sentence, "If a man ordered a beer milkshake, he thought, he'd better do it in a town where he wasn't known." This gives the reader a little laugh, and they want to keep reading the book for more.

Moving on, timelessness is key in classical writing. Are people interested in life as it was sixty or seventy years ago? The problems of life and human thoughts should be relevant even if they are read two hundred years from the time the novel was written. It can be argued that Steinbeck was much more recent than other classic authors,