Key Facts
full title ·
Tortilla Flat
author · John Steinbeck
type of work · Fictional Novel
genre · Novel of the California Experience
language · English
time and place written · California, 1935
date of first publication · 1935
publisher · Covici, Friede, Inc.
narrator · Authorial narration
point of view · Omniscient
tone · Comical, playful, straightforward
tense · Past
setting (time) · Primarily post World War I, with the preface occurring before the war—during prohibition
setting (place) · Tortilla Flat, California, above the town of Monterey
protagonist · Danny
major conflict · Free living versus comfort and age
rising action · The paisanos partake in several adventures in which they help the poor, rob the rich, and drink lots of wine; Danny's melancholy grows throughout
climax · Danny's Party
falling action · Danny's Funeral
themes · The beauty of simple things; immersion in the landscape; spirituality
motifs · Justified theft; wine; helping those in need
symbols · The machine gun; the black bird; the Pirate's stash; the vacuum cleaner
foreshadowing · Danny's growing melancholy and restlessness is hinted at throughout the paisanos' early adventures
