Man is by nature a social creature; community and belongingness is an individual’s primal need. In the novel “Cannery Row”, John Steinbeck presents the idea of community and isolationism. Steinbeck demonstrates that community is essential for happiness and prosperity whereas isolationism leads to misery and eventual demise. For society and an individual to flourish it is essential to not fall into the pit of isolationism instead embrace community.
One must not fall into isolationism because it is not healthy for one to lose human connection. Steinbeck’s novel “Cannery row” demonstrates in gruesome detail what happens when people fall into isolationism and lose their sense of belonging. For instance, William the former bouncer of the Bear Flag Restaurant felt that “no one loved him” (19) and “no one cared about him” (19) so he committed suicide by stabbing himself in the heart with an ice pick. The …show more content…
He felt isolated and useless, he blamed himself because no one accepted him. Also, when he was telling people he was going to kill himself, he was taken for granted and almost as if being dared to do it. It is evident by William’s unfortunate demise that the sense of belonging and the idea of someone caring for one’s well-being is essential for one to survive. Isolationism renders one unhappy and lonely; and this unhappiness and loneliness becomes a factor into whether or not a person can be successful in a society. The importance of companionship is essential for one’s survival and success. Also, it is importance for one to have someone worth living for. A person that has nobody to live for is more likely to do something idiotic whereas a
One must not fall into isolationism because it is not healthy for one to lose human connection. Steinbeck’s novel “Cannery row” demonstrates in gruesome detail what happens when people fall into isolationism and lose their sense of belonging. For instance, William the former bouncer of the Bear Flag Restaurant felt that “no one loved him” (19) and “no one cared about him” (19) so he committed suicide by stabbing himself in the heart with an ice pick. The …show more content…
He felt isolated and useless, he blamed himself because no one accepted him. Also, when he was telling people he was going to kill himself, he was taken for granted and almost as if being dared to do it. It is evident by William’s unfortunate demise that the sense of belonging and the idea of someone caring for one’s well-being is essential for one to survive. Isolationism renders one unhappy and lonely; and this unhappiness and loneliness becomes a factor into whether or not a person can be successful in a society. The importance of companionship is essential for one’s survival and success. Also, it is importance for one to have someone worth living for. A person that has nobody to live for is more likely to do something idiotic whereas a