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whats wrong with frankie in cannery row

by Mr. Bertha Koepp IV Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A mentally handicapped boy who is neglected by his mother and taken in by Doc. Frankie is incapable of doing any work; he just seems to do everything a little bit wrong. He loves Doc, though, and frequently tells him so. Frankie is institutionalized after breaking in to a jewelry store to steal a gift for Doc.

What does Frankie want to do for Doc?

What are Willard and Joey talking about?

What is Joey trying to figure out?

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What does Frankie steal for Doc?

When Frankie hears about the surprise birthday party Mack and “the boys” are throwing for Doc, he tries to steal a beautiful onyx clock, which he wants to give to Doc as a token of his appreciation.

Why does Frankie live with Doc in western biological and not go to school?

Frankie is a mentally handicapped boy who more or less lives at Western Biological. His father is dead and his mother seems to be a small-time prostitute. Her clients (whom Frankie calls "uncles") either bribe or beat Frankie to keep him away. He doesn't go to school because the school refuses to allow him there.

What is the moral code of Cannery Row?

In Cannery Row, John Steinbeck depicts a more raw definition of morality – not by the typical alignment with Judeo-Christian Faith, virtue or purity, but by acts of kindness, tolerance and the genuine treatment of others.

Who is the antagonist in Cannery Row?

Bummer Authority Figures In general, it seems that authority figures—like the "captain" who wants to kick Mack and the boys off his land or the watchman who tells the soldiers and their dates to beat it—might be voted Most Likely to Be Antagonists.

Is Doc lonely Cannery Row?

Doc is an important figure in Cannery Row, as all of his neighbors respect him for his kindness, compassion, and thoughtfulness, though he is also an essentially lonely figure.

What is the purpose of Doc's western biological lab?

Western Biological Laboratory, which Doc runs, is a supply house that can procure almost any animal for study, live or dead. The Western Biological building is full of equipment and bizarre smells; it is also Doc's home.

Is Cannery Row a true story?

See, John Steinbeck lived on or near the real Cannery Row for awhile, and he used the people he met in his book. This book, Real Life on Cannery Row compares the real people with the fictional characters of Steinbeck. Most of the people and many of the situations in the book came from real life.

How does Cannery Row end?

The final image of the book is of the white rats and rattlesnakes in their cages that Doc has locked away from the partygoers.

What was Cannery Row written about?

First published in 1945, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it is—both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual.

Who is Jones in Cannery Row?

One of the men living with Mack and his friends in the Palace Flophouse. Like Hughie, Jones often collects frogs and cats for Doc.

Who is Hazel in Cannery Row?

Frank McRaeCannery Row (1982) - Frank McRae as Hazel - IMDb.

Cannery Row Chapter 26 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts

Two boys named Joey and Willard play in Cannery Row. Willard wants to fight, so he keeps provoking Joey, but Joey doesn’t take the bait. “Where’s your old man now?” Willard asks menacingly.

Doc Character Analysis in Cannery Row | LitCharts

Doc swung his heavy sack of starfish to the ground and stood panting a little. “Nuts?” he asked. “Oh, yes, I guess so. Nuts about the same amount we are, only in a different way.”

What does Frankie want to do for Doc?

Frankie has found out about the party, as well, and wants more than anything to do something magnificent for Doc. He has his sights on an onyx clock at a local jewelers, on top of which is a sculpture with a figure that looks a little like Doc. Unable to afford the clock, Frankie breaks into the jeweler's and is caught.

What are Willard and Joey talking about?

Two young boys, Joey and Willard, are playing near Western Biological and talking about the "babies in jars" that Doc reportedly keeps inside. Willard is a bully and is looking for a little excitement, so he asks Joey about his father, knowing full well that his father committed suicide when he could not find work.

What is Joey trying to figure out?

Joey, in particular, is trying to figure things out: what's funny and what isn't, what can keep him from getting beat up, how to manage peo ple. Even the truly unpleasant death of his parent, which he has been forced to watch, does not protect Joey from the cruelty of the world, not even for the few years of childhood.

What did Frankie bring to Doc's party?

At one of Doc's parties, Frankie makes a great success of himself by bringing a beer to a young woman; both she and Doc praise him for his consideration. The incident stays with Frankie, and, at a later party, he tries to repeat his success by bringing a large tray of beers to the guests.

What is Frankie's handicap?

Frankie is a mentally handicapped boy who more or less lives at Western Biological. His father is dead and his mother seems to be a small-time prostitute. Her clients (whom Frankie calls "uncles") either bribe or beat Frankie to keep him away. He doesn't go to school because the school refuses to allow him there. It takes him several weeks to feel comfortable enough to enter the lab; up until then, he has been watching Doc through an open door. Doc takes the boy in and gets him clothes and a haircut. He tries to let Frankie do chores and sort specimens, but his handicaps prevent him from doing things successfully. Frankie is absolutely loyal to Doc and constantly tells him that he loves him. At one of Doc's parties, Frankie makes a great success of himself by bringing a beer to a young woman; both she and Doc praise him for his consideration. The incident stays with Frankie, and, at a later party, he tries to repeat his success by bringing a large tray of beers to the guests. Unfortunately, he drops the tray on a woman. Ashamed, he hides in the basement. Doc finds him but there is little he can do to make him feel better.

What are Mack's struggles with the Captain?

The struggles to get the truck running foreshadow the boys' encounter with the Captain. Again, Mack shows himself to be a master of adaptability, seeking out the man's soft spots and playing to them. While the Captain is clearly not in any real danger from the boys, their schemes have incurred more troubles for others in this section. The theft from the construction camp and the rather violent running-down of the rooster hint at the dark side to the boys' picturesque plotting. The presence of Frankie's mother in the novel's background is another suggestion that shiftlessness is not always accompanied by benevolence. Frankie's unfortunate fate later in the book will be the most damning strike against the boys' good intentions.

What does Mack point out in the movie Captain?

The man warms to Mack and points out a tick bite that has lamed the dog, who has just had puppies. Mack is instantly solicitous and offers to care for the dog himself. The man, whom they have started calling "Captain," is pleased and invites them up to his house, telling them he has a pond full of frogs.

What happens when Mack intervenes in the story?

Suddenly, a man and a dog appear out of the darkness. The man owns the land they are camped on and is about to kick them off when Mack intervenes. He tells them they are collecting frogs for cancer research and then begins to flatter the man, complimenting him on his military bearing and then on his fine dog.

Why do they hang rags on the truck?

They hang rags on the truck to conceal the fact that it has neither license plates nor a light. They have brought very little in the way of food with them, since Mack assumes they will be able to steal everything they need from farms. They make their way to the gas station, where they use Doc's note to get gasoline.

What does Gay do to Eddie in the truck?

Gay warns Eddie to beware of his (Gay's) wife, who used to beat him. Eddie returns with the batteries, and the boys are off.

Characters Leap from the Page

Cannery Row begins by slowly introducing its characters. First is Chinese shopkeeper Lee Chong; he is dedicated to making his store indispensable to Cannery Row, and despite his pragmatic approach, he gives credit kindly until the debt is out of hand.

A Party for Doc

Gay is one of Mack's boys; he is very good with cars. After he gets Eddie to steal doorbell batteries, Gay gets Chong's truck going. However, with no first gear, they drive in reverse and the truck breaks down. Gay walks back to town for a part but ends up in jail. Eddie heads to another camp to steal it from one of their trucks.

The Old Chinaman

The old Chinaman walks through Cannery Row in the early morning and early evening, freaking everyone out. There's something creepy about him—is he death? God? He's obviously not just a lonely old homeless guy who sleeps near the water at night. Right? Right??

Mr. and Mrs. Malloy

Mr. and Mrs. Malloy live in a boiler in the vacant lot. Mr. Malloy is a landlord: he rents out big rusty pipes on the lot to men who need a place to sleep. And with power comes … discontent. Mrs. Mallory was totally happy before they became property "owners," but now she starts wanting stuff like lamps and curtains.

Frankie

Frankie is a mentally handicapped boy who Doc takes in. He's mistreated at home, so he obviously loves Doc. Frankie's problem is that he's can't do anything right, literally: when he sweeps the floor, it's still dirty when he's done. When he tries to carry a tray of beer out to Doc's guests, he spills it.

Dora's Girls (and Boys)

Twelve girls work at the Bear Flag Restaurant, but we only meet a few of them: Eva Flanegan, Phyllis Mae, Doris, Elsie Doublebottom. (No, seriously, did her mom actually name her that?) Because they're Dora's girls, they're all polite and discreet, not to mention handy with a bowl of soup.

Richard Frost

Richard Frost is the guy who finally gets an answer to everyone's question about the flagpole skater's bathroom situation: "he's got a can up there" (19.14). He only appears one other time in Cannery Row, drinking beer with Doc when Doc bets that Mack and the boys won't turn around when the Fourth of July parade goes by. (Doc is right, of course.)

Mary and Tom Talbot

Tom Talbot is a struggling writer. Is there any other kind? Mary is his wife, and she's always trying to lighten the mood by throwing parties, sometimes just tea parties for the stray cats who live in the back yard.

Horace Abbeville

Horace is a local dude who owes Lee Chong a lot of money. He pays his bill by signing over a warehouse, his only possession. After the deal is completed, Horace goes into the warehouse and shoots himself.

What does Frankie want to do for Doc?

Frankie has found out about the party, as well, and wants more than anything to do something magnificent for Doc. He has his sights on an onyx clock at a local jewelers, on top of which is a sculpture with a figure that looks a little like Doc. Unable to afford the clock, Frankie breaks into the jeweler's and is caught.

What are Willard and Joey talking about?

Two young boys, Joey and Willard, are playing near Western Biological and talking about the "babies in jars" that Doc reportedly keeps inside. Willard is a bully and is looking for a little excitement, so he asks Joey about his father, knowing full well that his father committed suicide when he could not find work.

What is Joey trying to figure out?

Joey, in particular, is trying to figure things out: what's funny and what isn't, what can keep him from getting beat up, how to manage peo ple. Even the truly unpleasant death of his parent, which he has been forced to watch, does not protect Joey from the cruelty of the world, not even for the few years of childhood.

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1.Frankie Character Analysis in Cannery Row | LitCharts

Url:https://www.litcharts.com/lit/cannery-row/characters/frankie

22 hours ago In fact, Doc even lets Frankie help out around the laboratory, though there are certain tasks the boy struggles to complete because he is mentally disabled in some way (the nature of Frankie’s cognitive challenges are never fully articulated in Cannery Row, though Steinbeck makes it clear that the boy is at a disadvantage because his surrounding community fails to accommodate …

2.What is wrong with Frankie in Cannery Row? | Study.com

Url:https://study.com/academy/answer/what-is-wrong-with-frankie-in-cannery-row.html

2 hours ago Answer to: What is wrong with Frankie in Cannery Row?

3.Cannery Row Chapter 28 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts

Url:https://www.litcharts.com/lit/cannery-row/chapter-28

26 hours ago There are plenty of characters in Cannery Row who are outcasts living on the margins of society, but Frankie is one of the most tragic ones, for he is more alone than anyone else. This is because of his mental abilities, which the surrounding society is unable or unwilling to accommodate.

4.Cannery Row Chapters 26 - 29 Summary & Analysis

Url:https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canneryrow/section7/

14 hours ago Frankie can be compared in interesting ways with Benjy, the narrator of the first section of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, who is also mentally handicapped and who also has a problem expressing himself appropriately and is pun ished severely for it. Frankie also serves as an extreme version of Mack and the boys.

5.Cannery Row Chapters 10 - 13 Summary & Analysis

Url:https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canneryrow/section3/

2 hours ago Frankie is a mentally handicapped boy who more or less lives at Western Biological. His father is dead and his mother seems to be a small-time prostitute. Her clients (whom Frankie calls "uncles") either bribe or beat Frankie to keep him away. He doesn't go to school because the school refuses to allow him there.

6.Cannery Row by John Steinbeck: Summary & Characters

Url:https://study.com/academy/lesson/cannery-row-by-john-steinbeck-summary-characters.html

33 hours ago  · What was wrong with Frankie in Cannery Row? A mentally handicapped boy who is neglected by his mother and taken in by Doc. Frankie is incapable of doing any work; he just seems to do everything a little bit wrong. He loves Doc, though, and frequently tells him so. Frankie is institutionalized after breaking in to a jewelry store to steal a gift ...

7.Minor Characters in Cannery Row | Shmoop

Url:https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/cannery-row/minor-characters

30 hours ago In ''Cannery Row,'' John Steinbeck uses humor in the story's plot and characters to show the lives of down-on-their-luck residents of this seaside area.

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