Ideology and Microcosm in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row
Ideology and Microcosm in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row

Summary/Abstract: The paper contains a brief overview of the ideological landmarks underlying John Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row as well as the synthetic treatment of one of his most important narrative techniques, microcosm representation. After identifying Lao Tze’s Tao Teh Ching as one of the informing sources and discussing its minimalist philosophy of success in failure, an obvious Empsonian pastoral streak is singled out followed by the recognition of the novel’s arbitrary form with intermingling time levels. An argument about the evolution of the position of narrator ends the ideological component of the paper. In the latter part instances of a microcosmic setting for the manifestation of processes and phenomena are identified and examined, as one of the multiple techniques that ground the narrative. The microcosm is considered in the infinite diversity of Cannery Row as a quarter, in its dignity as standing for the whole world, in its quality as miraculous universe and a realm of wonders.

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