Setting Letters Wednesday, March 5, 2009

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Dear Book Club,
This week I have read 120 pages of John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. The book is set in a realistically fictional version of how Cannery Row in Monterey, California looked in the late 1930’s. Cannery Row is the story of how Mack and the boys want to throw a party for Doc because Doc would always help anybody who needed a helping hand. The main characters of the story are Doc, Mack and a motley collection of misfits known as “the boys”. Doc is a, charismatic and knowledgeable marine biologist who owns Western Biological, his home and business, where you can purchase any living creature for study and get it sooner or later. Mack and the boys are a different story however; they are a group of somewhat trustworthy and friendly scoundrels, who are always scamming to get something for free.
One of my favorite settings in Cannery Row is Lee Chong’s Grocery. Lee Chong’s Grocery is a cross between a 7-Eleven and a Ninety-Nine Cent store. It smells of an odd combination of fish, unlit tobacco and mothballs. Within a relatively small space, you can buy clothing, food (fresh and canned), fishing equipment and a lot, lot more. I imagine that when you walk through the door of Lee Chong’s Grocery you will see the owner Lee Chong standing behind his counter (from where he never leaves) with his abacus to the right of him, his cash register to the left and his rubber mat in the middle. Behind him rests a giant shelving unit, stocked full of various alcoholic beverages. The wall across from the door is lined with multiple produce bins filled with assorted fruits and vegetables perfectly stacked. Well-worn wooden shelving stuffed with bountiful merchandise occupies the middle of the store. Small skiffs, shovels, nets, fishing gear, car parts and other outdoor supplies are stacked against the wall opposite of the produce. The back of the store is home to many perishable items including, fish, beef, eggs, milk, bacon and bait which are kept in two ice boxes. At any given time you may find a few of Lee Chong’s relatives roaming throughout the store, restocking selves and helping you if you have any questions.
Lee Chong’s grocery store affects the characters because it is where everybody goes to buy their food, supplies and booze. The exception is the booze that Mack and the boys get from Eddie, who works as a replacement bartender at Ida’s Bar. He pours the customer’s unfinished drinks into a gallon jug that he keeps under the table. This setting is important to the plot because, it is owned by Lee Chong. Lee Chong is an important secondary character to the story for many reasons including owning the truck that Mack and the boys use to collect the frogs to pay for Doc’s party. Lee Chong makes a deal with the boys to allow them to borrow the truck if they can fix it. They manage to get the truck running but the transmission was on its last legs except for reverse, which was in excellent condition. Because of the condition of the transmission whenever they came to one of Monterey’s many hills, they would have to put it in reverse and go up backwards. I absolutely love Lee Chong’s Grocery because it is a place of necessity with a lot of sass, unlike the sterile stores of Santa Barbara. Lee Chong’s grocery reminds of the Keg N Bottle Market in Isla Vista because of its eclectic collection of merchandise. John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row is an off-the-beaten-path gem and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Preston Towers