Background and Reading Guide for Tortilla Flat

We are returning to our regular Substack schedule as we are finally situated in our new home. I am also excited to get back to reading Steinbeck and pick up where we left off. Next week, I will begin posting reflections and ruminations on some of the early chapters of the book.

Here’s some background information before dive in:

Setting

The setting of this novel, unlike the previous two discussed this year, is coastal and not rural. The story takes place in the hilly periphery of Monterey. The hills, unlike their modern day socioeconomic demographics, were home to a diverse and low income community including Mexican and European immigrants and Native Americans.

Characters

The characters in the story are reflective of the environment described above. They referred to as paisanos, which just means countrymen. They are cross between bohemians and vagabonds. Here’s a discussion of the origins of the idea for the novel and its characters:

Steinbeck got the ideas for "Tortilla Flat" from his days working at the Spreckels sugar factory (which has since fallen to the wrecking ball, although the "company town" bearing its name is a thriving, charming bedroom community on Salinas' outskirts) and from stories told to him by friend Sue Gregory, who taught Spanish at Monterey High School. Gregory's grandfather, W.E.P. Hartnell, founded Hartnell College in Salinas. Steinbeck's themes struck the right chord at the right time, Benson writes. " .. .He was lucky in his subject, the dispossessed farm laborer, a figure who was emblematic for many readers of all that had gone wrong with society during the Great Depression."

Structure

Like Pastures of Heaven, the novel is episodic in structure with each chapter functioning as a loosely connected yarn of short stories. While the characters cross paths or recur, each chapter could be understood fairly to be independent short stories. This method of storytelling has origins in Steinbeck’s interest in Arthurian legends, like the round table stories, and an interest in oral storytelling.

Tone

Steinbeck’s tone is often the subject of scholarly discussion and debate, particularly in how he portrays poverty. Many of the exploits are comic, bordering on absurd, which lends itself to the folktale style of storytelling. Steinbeck may also be perceived to be ironic or mocking. Given the detached tone of the writing, the interpretation could likely go in many different directions.

Narrative Arc

The novel follows a fairly traditional story arc: formation of the group, adventures and exploits, decline and fall of the group, and a parting denouement. While the stories are seemingly independent, there is a flow and direction to the overarching narrative.