Character analysis and archetyps in Cannery Row

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Bernadette Miner
Mr. Joyce

20TH Century Fiction

October 2, 2007
Character analysis and Archetypes in Cannery Row
In Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, he has many different characters with personalities that are unique. Archetypes can be adapted to the characteristic personalities at the same time. Everyone has a personality, whether they have one or multiple personalities. Any one character or person can be one or more archetypes. For instance: in The Grapes of Wrath also by John Steinbeck, Tom Joad had become hero archetype,the one who must tackle obstacles , the prostitute archetype who engages lessons in integrity or negotitiations in integrity or spirit due to fears of physical or financial survival or for financial gain, and the outcast archetype, who was cast out of a social group for crime(s) committed, all in one story. He had a soft, gentle heartedness, but lunging anger personality when tested. Doc, and Mack, characters in Cannery Row have multiple Archetypes, adapting their personality values.

Doc was a calm and collective Marine Biologist. He liked to travel and collect many different species of animal life who owned his own Western Biological Laboratory. “Doc was collecting marine animals in the Great Tide Pool on the tip of the Peninsula” (30). He had many friends, but no female friends. If he had any female friends, the relationship didn’t last long. For
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most part he was lonely. One of Doc’s personalities was sympathy. For instance: “Doc clipped
Frankie’s hair and got rid of the lice. At Lee Chong’s he got him a new pair of overalls and a striped sweater and Frankie became his slave”(58). Doc has adapted his sympathy with his
mentor archetype, one who advises or teaches. For instance, “He wanted to work in the laboratory. He swept out everyday, but there was something a little wrong. He couldn’t get a floor quite clean. He tried to help with grading crayfish for size. There they were in a bucket, all sizes” ( 59).Frankie tried and the perspiration stood on his forehead but he couldn’t do it”, “No,” Doc would say. “Look, Frankie. Put them beside your finger like this so you’ll know which ones are this long. See? This one goes from the tip of your finger down to the same place and it will be right”(59).

He had become angry when he come home from La Jolla where he was collecting baby octopi due to his laboratory torn to pieces like a tornado went through it. The archetype that is connected to this emotion would be the victim. For instance “Doc’s eyes flamed red with anger” (129). “ Did you do this?”, “Well, I and the boys--” Doc’s small hard fist whipped out and splashed against Mack’s mouth. Doc’s eyes shone with a red animal rage” (130). An example to show the victim archetype was, “The lights blazed in the laboratory. The front door hung sideways by one hinge. The floor was littered with broken glass. Phonograph record, some broken, some only nicked, were strewn about. The plates with pieces of steak ends and coagulating grease were on the floor, on top of the bookcases, under the bed. Whiskey glasses lay sadly on their sides. Some one trying to climb the bookcases had pulled out a whole section of
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books and spilled them in broken-backed confusion on the floor” (126).

Doc had another personality value, Loneliness. It seems that he has a lot of friends and is
very friendly himself, but when it comes to lady relationships he isn’t successful. For instance, “ Henri went over the story again and the girl’s eyes sparkled” (138). “ Doc watched them go a little sourly. After all it had been his date” (138). The archetype Doc can be categorized in is
the hero. He finds out about the party and decides to do something to help out without all of the town people catching on. An example of this archetype is, “ The next day he began making his own preparations for the party. His best records he carried into the back room where they could be locked away.He moved every bit of equipment that was breakable back there too. He knew how it would be-- his guests would be hungry and they wouldn’t bring anything to eat. They would run out of liquor early, they always did. A little wearily he went up to the Thrift Market where there was a fine and understanding butcher” (170). Another site of evidence was, “Doc ordered fifteen pounds of steaks, ten pounds of tomatoes, twelve heads of lettuce, six loaves of bread, a big jar of peanut butter and one of strawberry jam, five gallons of wine and four quarts of a good substantial but not distinguished whiskey” (170- 171).

Mack, the second main character in Cannery Row also had many personality values and archetypes that adapted as well. One was Low Self Esteem. For instance, “ Mack’s head jolted but he was braced now so he wouldn’t fall. And his hands stayed at his sides, “Go ahead, Doc,”

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he said thickly through his broken lips.” “ I got it coming” (130). Another example would be, “She got out of hand,” said Mack. “ It don’t do no good to say I’m sorry. I been sorry all my life. This aint no new thing. Its always like this.” He swallowed deeply from his glass. “ I had a wife,” Mack said. “Same thing. Ever’thing I done turned sour” (131).

Mack was a concerned individual for hurt animals and any friends of his that may need help for any reason. For instance, “ Now a genuine panic came over the Palace Flophouse. Darling had come to be vastly important to them”(146). “ Hazel and Jones were chosen to call on Doc” ( 146). “ It’s Darling,” they said. “ She’s sick.” “ What’s the matter with her?” “ Mack says it’s distemper” (147).He also has a “take charge” mode as well, the common courtesy value of life for him and other people around him. He decided for saving Darlings life and ruining Doc’s laboratory, Mack wanted to do something for him. Dora suggested a party. “Well,” said Mack, “ I and the boys thought we’d ask you. You know what we think of Doc. We wanted to ask you what you thought we could do for him that would kind of show him” (150). “ She shook out a cigarette, lighted it and studied. “You gave him a party he didn’t get to. Why don’t you give him a party he does get to”(150)?

An archetype that Mack fits into would be the Child archetype, who is awaken with desire to find path of service to help others, as well as the Scapegoat archetype, who takes the blame for all that has happened. As it suggests in the following proof of evidence. “ Mack came back from the laboratory with his mouth torn and his teeth broken. As a kind of penance, he did not wash his face. He went over to his bed and pulled his blanket over his head and he didn’t get up all day. His heart was as bruised as his mouth. He went over all the bad things he had done in his life and everything he had done seemed bad. He was very sad” (139).

He is a Trickster (one who provokes and cons to get what he/she wants) archetype also. . For instance, “ I and Eddie and the rest heard you own the Abbeville place.” Lee Chong nodded
and waited. “ I and my friends thought we’d ast you if we could move in there. We’ll keep up the property.” He added quickly. “Wouldn’t let anybody break in or hurt anything. Kids might knock out the windows, you know--” Mack suggested. “Place might just burn down if somebody don’t keep an eye on it” (10). “ Good,” said Mack. “ I knew Doc could depend on you” (56). “He turned about to leave. “By the way,” he said. “ Doc’s paying us five cents a piece for those frogs. We’re going to get seven or eight hundred. How about taking a pint of Old Tennis Shoes just ’til we can get back with the frogs?” “No!” said Lee Chong”(56).

In conclusion, John Steinbeck uses multiple character analysis and archetypes in Cannery Row. He uses many characters, but Doc and Mack are the two main characters used. That isn’t to say all the characters in the story don’t play an important role and carry multiple personality values and archetypes. This book is written very well and uses many archetypes and personality values to help us understand the way of living in Monterey, California at the area of Cannery Row. Therefore Steinbeck’s’ use of archetypes through the characters, helps to portray the faces and souls of the citizens around Cannery Row. This leading to an understanding of how they each lived to survive.