Cannery Row Individual Role Essay

839 Words4 Pages

The role of the individual can be defined in many ways and through different literary devices. Some believe the role of the individual is to create more individuals , but others think otherwise. In Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, the role of the individual is to find ways to help others. Doc and Dora find ways to help the sick after an influenza epidemic takes place. In ¨The Crisis¨ by Thomas Paine, the role of the individual is to bring each other up when they are down. Paine reads his letter that he wrote previously to change the mood of the soldiers who are depressed because they are losing the war. In ¨Speech to the Virginia Convention 1775¨ by Patrick Henry, the role of the individual is to persuade others to make up their minds. Henry reads his speech aloud that he …show more content…

Steinbeck shows us that individuals can take care of the sick with their actions. An influenza outbreak occurs in the middle of March and many get sick and Doc steps up and helps the sick out even though he is not supposed to practice medicine, “It was not his fault that everyone in the Row came to him for medical advice. Before he knew it he found himself running from shanty to shanty taking temperatures, giving physics, borrowing and delivering blankets and even taking food from house to house where mothers looked at him with inflamed eyes from their beds, and thanked him and put the full responsibility for their children’s recovery on him. (Steinbeck 93). Doc was not supposed to practice medicine but he does and helps the sick people out because he cares about the well-being or others. Based on this we can infer that individuals should go out of their way to help others out. Without Doc’s help, the sick people may have died. This influences the idea that individuals should help others because it would make a difference in the world. Like characterization, emotional appeal can be also used to define the role of the