My First Thought and Impression on Tortilla Flat

Having read and digested many of John Steinbeck’s novels, I am assured that Tortilla Flat will not disappoint my continuing desire to enjoy his insightful works of literature. Steinbeck adopted a common theme in writing his novels, from which I discover his approach for presenting a disadvantaged and almost helpless protagonist who is repressed by an immoral world always captivates my interests. I have not had the misfortunes endured by those suffering souls in his works; however, it is through Steinbeck’s themes and expressions that provide me a better understanding of being fortunate. Although many of his novels such as, Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, and The Grapes of Wrath, are replete with depressing overtones because the protagonists are being exploited, I still enjoy reading them because I become inspired on how determined the protagonists persevere and become triumphant in the end. The most important life-lesson Steinbeck instilled in me is to never lose hope and give up for “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”*

It surprises me, however, that Tortilla Flat bears little resemblance of Steinbeck’s traditional tragic plot. In the early chapters of the novel, Danny, one of the disadvantaged and underprivileged protagonists, inherits his grandfather’s two estates and slowly assimilates into a new lifestyle rather than having a conniving and sly antagonist cheat him of his possessions. At this point of the novel, the only tension Danny encounters is with his friend Pilon, which may be attributed to the characters’ heavy indulgence with wine. Steinbeck’s intention of integrating Danny’s acquisition of his grandfather’s house is to exemplify and test the strength of the characters in relation to an upgrade in economic gains. Danny had inherited his grandfather’s house, but he does not have money to live a luxurious lifestyle; thus, he still must remember and retain his roots of struggle as he tries to grasp a new lifestyle.

At first glance of the novel, the unique characteristics of the cast of players leave a humorous impression that easily appeals to me. The first incident in which we are introduced to these characters sparks our interests because of their impetuous decisions. For example, in Tortilla Flat's opening anecdote, Danny and his friends are enjoying a bottle of wine when they have a patriotic epiphany that urges them to enlist in the military. However, neither Danny nor his friends are sent to the front lines. Danny is assigned to herd livestock, while his friend is arrested for a petty crime. In another incident, Danny is imprisoned, but the prison guard gets drunk with him until they run out of alcohol and go to the local bar to continue their indulgences. Humorously, the drunken Danny stumbles out of the bar and wanders into the forest to sleep and the guard reports him as an escaped convict. With animated characters, it is fun and interesting to continue reading to anticipate their next scenario.

All of Steinbeck's novels have an insightful lesson to influence their readers. In the early section of Tortilla Flat, we experience the effects of alcohol clouding its victims’ minds and impairing their rationality. Steinbeck has also approached the issue of spending money impulsively. Instead of saving the money for future investments, characters decide to spend the money because they have recently acquired it and justify their spending with trivial excuses. Because it is hard for Pilon to save money to pay his rent due to Danny, he finds a scapegoat (Pablo) to serve as an excuse for his money spending problems.

At this point, I enjoy reading Tortilla Flat as it has given me a different perspective of Steinbeck’s departure from his traditional call for social justice in the struggles between the haves and the have-nots. Tortilla Flat possesses hardly any of Steinbeck's trademark stories about the tension from economic disparities in our society; however, the plot resembles a bildungsromanesque style like Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn–both of which I enjoy reading. (673)

*Winston Churchill