At one point in chapter III, Pilon has on out-of-body experience. This experience allows him to be pure and travel to heaven. However, his memories quickly drag him down to earth again. Pilon then shrugs under the weight of the wine he had bought for Danny instead of paying his rent. I think this is somewhat significant of a gesture, as he is feeling the burden of his gift for Danny upon him. Due to the fact that he was so pure, Pilon is now open to every evil in the world around him. He begins to think selfishly, and considers how drunk he could get on all the wine he had bought for Danny. At this point he bumps into a friend named Pablo, with whom he shares the wine. Sure, it didn’t go to Danny, but at the very least Pilon did not horde it all for himself. This, I feel, is a fine example of the toll the burdens of the world take on people. It would seem that every person, however good created by nature, is capable of the greatest evil. This moment of Pilon’s exemplifies the ongoing battle of good and evil that rages inside people everyday. We are not all perfect all the time, and we call make mistakes, but in the end we can always redeem ourselves. Pilon demonstrates this final part of redemption from the squandered gift by an act of good will, that is inviting Pablo to share in his home even though he cannot pay the rent.
Danny and his friends seem very content regardless of whatever fate may throw their way. Pilon and Pablo find what they suspect to be a dead body and decide that it cannot possibly need the half bottle of wine laying next to it in the ditch. Danny learns his house burned down and he is glad that he is free of the worries of owning two homes. To eat they steal, and to make money they work for hours at a time. They even spoke of a woman they knew stabbing another man just because she did not want him in her home. It would seem the people of Tortilla Flat go against every modern conveyance of morality and civility that we now. This actually isn’t all that unexpected as Steinbeck seems to enjoy doing this in all of his novels. So, the people live life day-by-day, stealing, drinking, fighting and loving. However immoral our minds tell us it is, we find that the people of the novel are happy and content at every turn. This makes living this way on the fringes of modern civilization seem very appealing. Perhaps the point to be made is that some people are content with the lives they lead, regardless if we or society approve of their lifestyles.
In Chapter XI, Danny has found himself a lady, Sweets Ramirez, and his friends are becoming worried. Danny had bought Sweets a very nice vacuum cleaner and, as a result of this wonderful gift, Danny has been staying at Sweets every night. These late nights are taking their toll on poor old Danny, and his friends long again for his attention and companionship. So, being the caring fellows they are, they tell Danny she is expecting electricity in her house from him for the vacuum. To get him out of trouble, Pilon offers his aid, and steals back the vacuum. In exchange for it he gets 2 gallons of wine from Torrelli. As Danny and the friends are drinking their wine, Danny says that Sweets is a very nice, sympathetic lady, but then goes on to say that he is just tired of it all. Danny’s exact words were, “God damn it! I’m just sick of it!” The Pirate gives his approval of this statement from over in his corner, repeating it with a smile. This statement made me curious just as to what Danny was sick of, exactly. I feel that Danny is not merely displaying his contempt for the situation at hand, but that he is actually just sick of the responsibility of being regarded as a wealthy, influential man. He doesn’t want the worries of property or influence in his life, he just wants to enjoy himself. So basically, Danny’s present attitude toward his wealth is to just sort of screw it, and to continue living life by the seat of his pants. Sure, everyone dreams of being wealthy, and money is enjoyed by all (regardless of what you some may say), but sometimes wealth can do more harm than good.
In chapter 11 it rained. I know other stuff happened (like Big Joe getting some action) but I couldn’t think of anything to write about for any of those events. I like rainy days. The pitter-patter of rain on the roof is very calming to me. The harder it pours down, the better. I find that just watching the water falling from the sky is very soothing, too. Have you ever gone out and run in the rain? It’s a blast, and you know it. Sure, a lot of people connect rain with sadness and dreariness and such, but I don’t care. Seriously, rain isn’t so bad. You just have to give it a chance. Big Joe did, and look at what happened to him! He found love! So rain has some romantic value, too. (Some people may want to remember that for later.) I don’t know, I guess I just like rain.
Chapter 13 was odd. A woman named Teresina had 9 children and her mother living with her. The children lived entirely on a bean and tortilla diet, which one would think would not be all that filling or healthy. I mean, I’m no doctor, but doesn’t a person eventually need some variety in their diet? Well, that variety came due to rain falling on the bean crop for that year, so Teresina could no longer ‘procure’ the beans needed for her family. Jesus Maria, being the saint that he is, went to her house and discovered the starving children. Upon returning back to the house, he formulated a plan with the rest of the gang. So, they went out and stole stuff all day in order to feed this family. Apparently stealing in an altruistic way not only makes it okay, but you find some great pride in doing so much good. In most instances, I feel theft is theft and that is all it is. No matter your intentions, you’re thieving, making you a thief, which society apparently frowns upon. Okay, so I’ve gotten off track here. The friends stole all this food, and since it was fruits and green vegetables and milk, the children got sick. So, the friends went out and broke into a factory and stole 4 100-pound bags of beans. Teresina interpreted this as a miracle. So, the friends of Danny’s house are thieves and miracle-saints.
I like how chapter 14 opened with the description of the place a watch takes in the lives of the quaint people of Tortilla Flat. In short, they really don't pay much heed to the small devices that we bind our lives to. Instead, the paisanos usually stick to the sun. This is defended by the fact that it is always there, and you cannot cave in and trade it to Torelli for wine. It is also to be mentioned that while 7 o'clock is a fine time to be up in the summer what with the sun being up and all, but in the winter it is a terrible time to be up, as it is still dark and cold. See the logic now? By sticking to using only the sun, one can properly utilize all hours of daylight that God and nature allow. Convenient, ja? I just sort of enjoyed that little section at the beginning of the chapter because I do find it interesting how we have turned time into a precious commodity. "There are never enough hours in the day." Hell, we should live life like the paisanos of Tortilla Flat. They seem to know how to enjoy life as it comes.
This will be my final post of the summer. Danny becomes a wild man in the final chapters of the book. He disappears for quite some time and raises all sorts of hell. Eventually he returns home, tired from all his adventures. However, he is sad for some unkown reason. Perhaps the house finally took its toll on poor old Danny. Whatever the reason for Danny's sadness, the friends throw him a massive party, the likes of which Tortilla Flat has never seen. During the party Danny goes mad again, and staggers off into the night to find himself an opponent for his rage. Alas, Danny found an opponent whom he could not beat. This opponent's name was gravity. So, Danny dies, the friends cannot attend his funeral due to torn clothes, and they burn the house down. The burning of the house severed the ties between the friends, and they all walk away into the night on their own paths.
All in all, I enjoyed Tortilla Flat. I found that it was a fun story, with lots of very colorful characters. Due to the fact that its summer, I didn't really put much thought into reading the book, so I didn't really define any one message or theme out of the book, though i know there are lots of them right below the surface of the story. This, I feel, was a very good summer book. It sort of defined the way people would like to live during these warm months of freedom, with no cares in the world, only working when something is wanted or needed. This really is the life everyone wants to live. And I'm finished now, I believe.
Didn't the passage of background information say that Antigone was a victim of Creon's hubris? Some of you are suggesting that Antigone is the tragic hero. Thoughts on that.
7 comments:
Tortilla Flat
Chapters 1-3
At one point in chapter III, Pilon has on out-of-body experience. This experience allows him to be pure and travel to heaven. However, his memories quickly drag him down to earth again. Pilon then shrugs under the weight of the wine he had bought for Danny instead of paying his rent. I think this is somewhat significant of a gesture, as he is feeling the burden of his gift for Danny upon him. Due to the fact that he was so pure, Pilon is now open to every evil in the world around him. He begins to think selfishly, and considers how drunk he could get on all the wine he had bought for Danny. At this point he bumps into a friend named Pablo, with whom he shares the wine. Sure, it didn’t go to Danny, but at the very least Pilon did not horde it all for himself.
This, I feel, is a fine example of the toll the burdens of the world take on people. It would seem that every person, however good created by nature, is capable of the greatest evil. This moment of Pilon’s exemplifies the ongoing battle of good and evil that rages inside people everyday. We are not all perfect all the time, and we call make mistakes, but in the end we can always redeem ourselves. Pilon demonstrates this final part of redemption from the squandered gift by an act of good will, that is inviting Pablo to share in his home even though he cannot pay the rent.
Tortilla Flat
4-6
Danny and his friends seem very content regardless of whatever fate may throw their way. Pilon and Pablo find what they suspect to be a dead body and decide that it cannot possibly need the half bottle of wine laying next to it in the ditch. Danny learns his house burned down and he is glad that he is free of the worries of owning two homes. To eat they steal, and to make money they work for hours at a time. They even spoke of a woman they knew stabbing another man just because she did not want him in her home. It would seem the people of Tortilla Flat go against every modern conveyance of morality and civility that we now. This actually isn’t all that unexpected as Steinbeck seems to enjoy doing this in all of his novels. So, the people live life day-by-day, stealing, drinking, fighting and loving. However immoral our minds tell us it is, we find that the people of the novel are happy and content at every turn. This makes living this way on the fringes of modern civilization seem very appealing. Perhaps the point to be made is that some people are content with the lives they lead, regardless if we or society approve of their lifestyles.
Tortilla Flat
7-9
In Chapter XI, Danny has found himself a lady, Sweets Ramirez, and his friends are becoming worried. Danny had bought Sweets a very nice vacuum cleaner and, as a result of this wonderful gift, Danny has been staying at Sweets every night. These late nights are taking their toll on poor old Danny, and his friends long again for his attention and companionship. So, being the caring fellows they are, they tell Danny she is expecting electricity in her house from him for the vacuum. To get him out of trouble, Pilon offers his aid, and steals back the vacuum. In exchange for it he gets 2 gallons of wine from Torrelli. As Danny and the friends are drinking their wine, Danny says that Sweets is a very nice, sympathetic lady, but then goes on to say that he is just tired of it all. Danny’s exact words were, “God damn it! I’m just sick of it!” The Pirate gives his approval of this statement from over in his corner, repeating it with a smile. This statement made me curious just as to what Danny was sick of, exactly. I feel that Danny is not merely displaying his contempt for the situation at hand, but that he is actually just sick of the responsibility of being regarded as a wealthy, influential man. He doesn’t want the worries of property or influence in his life, he just wants to enjoy himself. So basically, Danny’s present attitude toward his wealth is to just sort of screw it, and to continue living life by the seat of his pants. Sure, everyone dreams of being wealthy, and money is enjoyed by all (regardless of what you some may say), but sometimes wealth can do more harm than good.
Tortilla Flat
10-11
In chapter 11 it rained. I know other stuff happened (like Big Joe getting some action) but I couldn’t think of anything to write about for any of those events. I like rainy days. The pitter-patter of rain on the roof is very calming to me. The harder it pours down, the better. I find that just watching the water falling from the sky is very soothing, too. Have you ever gone out and run in the rain? It’s a blast, and you know it. Sure, a lot of people connect rain with sadness and dreariness and such, but I don’t care. Seriously, rain isn’t so bad. You just have to give it a chance. Big Joe did, and look at what happened to him! He found love! So rain has some romantic value, too. (Some people may want to remember that for later.) I don’t know, I guess I just like rain.
Tortilla Flat
12-13
Chapter 13 was odd. A woman named Teresina had 9 children and her mother living with her. The children lived entirely on a bean and tortilla diet, which one would think would not be all that filling or healthy. I mean, I’m no doctor, but doesn’t a person eventually need some variety in their diet? Well, that variety came due to rain falling on the bean crop for that year, so Teresina could no longer ‘procure’ the beans needed for her family. Jesus Maria, being the saint that he is, went to her house and discovered the starving children. Upon returning back to the house, he formulated a plan with the rest of the gang. So, they went out and stole stuff all day in order to feed this family. Apparently stealing in an altruistic way not only makes it okay, but you find some great pride in doing so much good. In most instances, I feel theft is theft and that is all it is. No matter your intentions, you’re thieving, making you a thief, which society apparently frowns upon. Okay, so I’ve gotten off track here. The friends stole all this food, and since it was fruits and green vegetables and milk, the children got sick. So, the friends went out and broke into a factory and stole 4 100-pound bags of beans. Teresina interpreted this as a miracle. So, the friends of Danny’s house are thieves and miracle-saints.
Tortilla Flat
Chapters 14-15
I like how chapter 14 opened with the description of the place a watch takes in the lives of the quaint people of Tortilla Flat. In short, they really don't pay much heed to the small devices that we bind our lives to. Instead, the paisanos usually stick to the sun. This is defended by the fact that it is always there, and you cannot cave in and trade it to Torelli for wine. It is also to be mentioned that while 7 o'clock is a fine time to be up in the summer what with the sun being up and all, but in the winter it is a terrible time to be up, as it is still dark and cold. See the logic now? By sticking to using only the sun, one can properly utilize all hours of daylight that God and nature allow. Convenient, ja? I just sort of enjoyed that little section at the beginning of the chapter because I do find it interesting how we have turned time into a precious commodity. "There are never enough hours in the day." Hell, we should live life like the paisanos of Tortilla Flat. They seem to know how to enjoy life as it comes.
Tortilla Flat
16-END
This will be my final post of the summer. Danny becomes a wild man in the final chapters of the book. He disappears for quite some time and raises all sorts of hell. Eventually he returns home, tired from all his adventures. However, he is sad for some unkown reason. Perhaps the house finally took its toll on poor old Danny. Whatever the reason for Danny's sadness, the friends throw him a massive party, the likes of which Tortilla Flat has never seen. During the party Danny goes mad again, and staggers off into the night to find himself an opponent for his rage. Alas, Danny found an opponent whom he could not beat. This opponent's name was gravity. So, Danny dies, the friends cannot attend his funeral due to torn clothes, and they burn the house down. The burning of the house severed the ties between the friends, and they all walk away into the night on their own paths.
All in all, I enjoyed Tortilla Flat. I found that it was a fun story, with lots of very colorful characters. Due to the fact that its summer, I didn't really put much thought into reading the book, so I didn't really define any one message or theme out of the book, though i know there are lots of them right below the surface of the story. This, I feel, was a very good summer book. It sort of defined the way people would like to live during these warm months of freedom, with no cares in the world, only working when something is wanted or needed. This really is the life everyone wants to live. And I'm finished now, I believe.
Post a Comment