Of Sympathy and Love: Mimesis, Narrative, and Togetherness in “Tortilla Flat”
Of Sympathy and Love: Mimesis, Narrative, and Togetherness in “Tortilla Flat”

Summary/Abstract: Shared narratives and value systems play a fundamental role in the formation of authentic relationships, particularly when built upon collaboration and openness towards the Other. Steinbeck’s fourth novel and first critical success, Tortilla Flat (1935), offers a promising study in hermeneutical mimesis as it relates to literary friendships, while underscoring the permutational aspects of the symmetry that characterizes Paisano togetherness. The friends participate in the Aristotelian sharing of life, whereby parity is preserved in order to pursue common goals, thus avoiding a potential fracturing of their circle due to rivalries or antagonism.

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