Chapter Summary |
| Steinbeck's chapter headings are italicized. |
1 | What Happened in Between
Doc's lab abandoned by Old Jingleballicks. Mack describes the rest:
Lee Chong sold his store and went sailing in the South Seas, Gay killed in
the war, Whitey learned harmonica, Whitey No. 2 showed up, Eddie stayed
with La Ida, Dora died, Fauna took the Bear Flag, Henri sold his boat and
left, Hazel went to UC on the GI Bill but got tossed out, Mack tried
Geiger counters and romance. |
2 | The Troubled Life of Joseph
and Mary his early criminal life, Father Murphy gets him a job
at the LA Plaza where he grew marijuana (exposed by Mildred Bugle), police
get him a bus ticket to San Luis Obispo, his wetback business, the
Espaldas Mojadas |
3 | Hooptedoodle (1)
Doc experiences the deep discontent of middle age and life's purposes; he
goes to La Jolla with a girl and picks up 28 baby octupi; the girl leaves
and Doc decides to study octopus emotions |
4 | There Would Be No Game
Doc teaches Joseph and Mary chess, and that cheating is impossible
in it. |
5 | Enter Suzy Suzy
arrives on a Greyhound, goes to the Golden Poppy then Fauna's. Fauna sets
her up, sends her to Penney's |
6 | The Creative Cross
Doc buys yellow pads and pencils and writes "OBSERVATIONS AND
SPECULATIONS." |
7 | Tinder Is as Tinder Does
Joseph and Mary discuss Suzy with Fauna. Susy drops into the
grocery. She and Joseph and Mary evaluate each other. She meets
Doc. |
8 | The Great Roque War
The nature of Pacific Grove, its roque courts, division into Blue and
Green teams, Mr. Deems plays God, effigy day 30 Jul |
9 | Whom the Gods Love They Drive
Nuts A meeting at the Palace to discuss Doc's depression.
Fauna's horoscoping says Hazel will be President. Mack asks her to rig a
reading for Doc. |
10 | There's a Hole in Reality
through which We Can Look if We Wish A seer invites Doc to
dinner in the pines. "I don't know why they don't put you in
jail. It's a crime to be happy without equipment." {71} The crazy
seer watches the sunset. |
11 | Hazel's Brooding
Hazel pushes Mack to do something about Doc. They toast Hazel and Lefty
Grove. Mack suggests Doc needs a wife. |
12 | Flower in a Crannied Wall
Suzy and Joe Elegant discuss the mass, his novel, brownies and
tea. |
13 | Parallels Must Be Related
Wide Ida tries to comfort Doc, who is getting nowhere with his
troubles. |
14 | Lousy Wednesday
"Some days are born ugly." When Wide Ida complains of taxes, Mack wonders
who owns the Palace, and what to do about it. |
15 | The Playing Fields of
Harrow The Bear Flag's Ready Room. What happened to the
Malloys. A finishing school session. The gold stars. Mack and the boys
invite Fauna and the girls. Suzy takes a Joe Elegant cake to
Doc. |
16 | The Little Flowers of Saint
Mack Doc works on starfish embryo slides. Mack discusses Joseph
and Mary with Doc. Mack's theory of medicine: to stay healthy, stay
broke. |
17 | Suzy Binds the Cheese
Suzy brings the cake. He criticizes her business, she his. She says
everybody's laughing behind his back about his paper. He forgets
starfish. |
18 | A Pause in the Day's
Occupation The Ready Room. Helen and Wisteria doing sixty days
for a fight. Salinas' Rattlesnake Club visits the Bear Flag. Fauna and the
girls discuss Suzy's future with Doc, cast her horoscope (23 Feb). Fauna
and Suzy talk. Suzy goes to Docs, tells him to write his paper. Mack's
three reasons to marry a hustler. |
19 | Sweet Thursday (1)
Mack finds out what the Patrón knows (and doesn't) about ownership
of the Palace. He proposes raffling it with two-dollar tickets to buy Doc
a microscope. |
20 | Sweet Thursday (2)
Fauna brings beer to Doc who's cooking sausages with chocolate on them.
She asks him to make a pitch at Suzy, like she was a lady. |
21 | Sweet Thursday Was One Hell
of a Day Wild ticket selling. Mack asks Doc his birthday; he
picks 4 July. Suzy, who's been asked out by Doc, gets advice from Fauna.
The girls and the boys meet at the Palace. Fauna reads Doc's birthdate as
marriage certain. |
22 | The Arming Fauna
prepares Suzy. Tons of stuff to learn. Doc shows up, then runs back to the
lab to dress better. |
23 | One Night of Love
Doc takes Suzy to Sonny Boy's for dinner. Fauna made the arrangements.
They have martinis made with chartreuse instead of vermouth, eat their
horoscopes (fish and crab), drink champagne and brandy. Then the
dunes. |
24 | Waiting Friday
Fauna talks to Doc, then a long talk with Suzy about her future. Sends her
to San Francisco to buy a suit. |
25 | Old Jingleballicks
Suzy cleans up Doc's lab. Old Jay arrives unannounced, eats the juice from
Suzy's stew. Doc goes for beer and brings back the Patrón. Old Jay
muses on overpopulation and teaches the Patrón how to cheat at
chess. |
26 | The Developing Storm
Fauna suggests a masquerade party: Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs. |
27 | O Frabjous Day!
Fauna gets Mabel's "show white" dress for Suzy. Mack, Eddie and Whitey No.
2 get Johnny ready to spring Doc's raffle ticket. Hazel wants to go as
Prince Charming. Old Jay explains why he's a philanthropist and a
freeloader. |
28 | Where Alfred the Sacred River
Ran Mack and the boys will be trees. Fauna a witch. Wide Ida's
girls are dwarfs. Joseph and Mary is Dracula. When Cacahuete's trumpet
announces the party Jay and Doc are arguing. Doc gets $380 from the raffle
and wins the Palace, too. Turns out Chong had left it to the boys. Fauna
and the girls arrive to the Wedding March. Suzy runs out. |
29 | Oh, Woe, Woe, Woe!
The Row is in shock. Suzy comes to the Golden Poppy, tells Ella and Joe
she's going to stay and work there. She moves into the boiler. She and
Fauna talk some more |
30 | A President Is Born
Hazel feels the burden of his impending presidency. When Mack lies
there withrdrawn, Hazel decides "I'll have to do her myself." |
31 | The Thorny Path of
Greatness Hazel sits under the black cypress tree and decides
to listen. |
32 | Hazel's Quest
Hazel listens to Joe Elegant on symbolism, Fauna on Suzy, Joseph and Mary
on his hopes for Suzy, Suzy on mind-your-business, Doc on himself and
Suzy. Hazel tells Doc about Joseph and Mary. |
33 | The Distant Drum
Doc analyses himself, goes to the boiler and fights with the
Patrón. They drink. |
34 | The Deep-Dish Set-Down
Joe Elegant, after working on The Pi Root of Oedipus,
notices flowers in a museum jar by the boiler. Everyone sees Suzy go to
the Bear Flag for a bath. Fauna sends Doc a note: "She ain't going to work
today." |
35 | Il N'y pas de mouches sur la
grandmère Doc cleans himself forcefully. Listens to
Bach. "If you are not defeated, you win!" He sees Suzy, they talk, he goes
back to the lab. He gives Hazel money to buy candy for Seer, who's been
arrested by Blaikey. Gets a telegram saying he's an institution and Old
Jay can fund him. |
36 | Lama Sabachthani?
Hazel learns from the Seer that he must do anything to help Doc.
He picks up a bat, then later lies under the tree and weeps. |
37 | Little Chapter
Dr. Dormody confirms Doc's arm is broken by some kind of club. |
38 | Hooptedoodle (2), or The
Pacific Grove Butterly Festival The butterflies don't come,
Miss Graves loses her voice, Mayor Christy gets caught with a blonde in a
hotel fire in King City and leaves town -- such things show that Cannery
Row's troubles aren't so serious. |
39 | Sweet Thursday Revisited
Miss Graves' voice returns with the Monarchs, Judge Albertson frees the
Seer, everyone hears about Doc. The eight-inch telescope arrives. Suzy offers to
help Doc in La Jolla - "I ain't put together with spit." |
40 | I'm Sure We Should All Be as
Happy as Kings Suzy learns to drive in the Palace Flophouse.
With everyone out to watch, Mack presents the telescope. Suzy and Doc
drive away toward La Jolla. |