This paper examines the major characters in John Steinbeck's 1935 novel Tortilla Flat, set along the Monterey coast of California. It explores the personalities and motivations of the paisano group at the novel's center, focusing on Danny, the carefree leader whose inherited property conflicts with his desire for freedom; Pilon, the idealistic and conscience-driven member of the group; and the Pirate, a gentle, dog-loving outsider who finds belonging among the paisanos. The paper also considers secondary characters — including Jesus Maria Corcoran, Big Joe Portagee, the Torrellis, and several women of the community — and incorporates critical perspectives on Steinbeck's treatment of ethnicity, gender, and social marginality.
This paper demonstrates the use of textual evidence alongside secondary criticism to support character analysis. Rather than simply describing characters, the author grounds interpretations in specific quotations from the novel and reinforces them with scholarly commentary, showing how literary analysis draws on both primary and secondary sources.
The paper opens with a brief introduction to the novel's setting and cast, then moves through detailed profiles of Danny, Pilon, and the Pirate before surveying the secondary characters. It closes with critical perspectives on Steinbeck's overall approach to characterization, particularly regarding ethnicity and gender. This character-by-character structure suits an analytical survey of an ensemble-driven novel.
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck was first published in 1935. It is set on the Monterey coast of California and features the adventures of a group of men of Mexican-American descent called the paisanos. As California writer and critic Gerald Haslam has noted, "Steinbeck must be recognized for seeing the diversity of the state's population, for writing about the paisanos of Monterey, for example, at a time when the majority of Californians did not acknowledge the importance or even the existence of mixed-blood Mexicans" (Shillinglaw, "Steinbeck and Ethnicity," 1995).
Though they are troublesome people, the paisanos are good at heart and like to help those less fortunate than themselves. The core members of the group are Danny, Pablo, Jesus Maria, Pilon, and Big Joe Portagee. They are soon joined by another paisano, the Pirate. All these men desire nothing more than to enjoy a great life of drinking, companionship, and freedom from burden. They model themselves loosely on the Knights of the Round Table, and the rest of the novel follows their adventures.
Arthur Pettit offered a critical assessment of the novel: "Alternately tender and tasteless, subtle and simple, comical and crude, the novel is handicapped by a baffling mixture of moods and motifs which collide rather than meet. The mock-heroic elements conflict with the theme of paradise lost, and we are left uncertain as to which is more important" (Shillinglaw, "Steinbeck and Ethnicity," 1995). Not everyone shared this view. Robert DeMott recalls a colleague saying, "You might like Tortilla Flat — it's about a bunch of paisanos who raise hell all the time and have trouble fitting in with society. Steinbeck wrote about underdogs, and he got kicked out of college so often he never finished" (DeMott, Steinbeck's Typewriter: Essays on His Art, Troy, NY: Whitston, 1996).
One of the main characters of the novel is Danny, the principal protagonist around whom the story revolves. Danny is an ordinary ruffian who likes to hang out with friends, has no worries, and leads a very carefree life. As long as someone takes care of his needs, he is content. Responsibility is something he consistently avoids. Yet there are strong leadership qualities in him that the others in the group deeply respect, and there is a profound bond between Danny and his friends.
Danny enlists as a soldier in the First World War, though he never gets to leave the country. When he returns, he discovers that his grandfather has passed away and left him the sole heir of two houses. It takes a great deal of time for Danny to accept the fact that he has been handed a responsibility. His generous personality comes to light when he invites his comrades to share his houses with him. He is, in effect, the undisputed leader of the group — much like a King Arthur of his time, with his paisanos as his merry knights. His concern for his friends' welfare prompts him to help them without hesitation, and there is never a decision made without consulting Danny.
Despite his newly inherited wealth, Danny does not feel satisfied. He does not care for material things. All he wants is the companionship of his friends and the freedom to roam. He feels tied down by his property and believes it will ruin his life. In a way, Danny is an idealist who longs to evade everything difficult. Freedom is what he craves, not the confines of his houses. This is captured in one of his telling remarks: "Pilon," he said sadly, "I wished you owned it and I could come live with you" (John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat, 1935).
Even when he was younger, Danny refused to rely on home-cooked food or a comfortable bed. He loved to sleep in the forest and find food wherever he could — that gave him pleasure. Looking after a house deprives him of those pleasures, and he eventually escapes from his domestic burdens, going on a crime spree after regaining his freedom in an attempt to recapture his youth. This turns much of the town against him. Yet even in his rebellion, Danny cannot shake the feeling that he has grown old and lost the time to truly enjoy his youth. He grows despairing, and his friends organize a party for him where he makes his last stand.
Danny plunges to his death after falling forty feet into a ditch behind his house. He seeks out a final, dramatic confrontation, crying out: "I will go out to The One who can fight. I will find The Enemy who is worthy of Danny" (John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat, 1935). In the end, Danny loses his life in a spectacular and defiant fashion.
Pilon is one of the most complex characters in the novel. He has a genuinely beautiful soul and is among the sharpest and most perceptive of the paisanos. Like Danny, he is an idealist who loves communing with nature — a quality that draws him closer to his comrades. He is also very generous and likes to share everything with his fellow paisanos. Even though Danny never requests rent, Pilon tries hard to come up with the money, and his conscience serves as a guiding force toward a proper life. Although he possesses a good conscience, he can be misled into wrongdoing by others without realizing it. His relationship with Danny is especially close, and there is nothing he would not do for him.
There is a telling incident in which Pilon, on his way home after a long day's work, buys wine for Danny, thinking his friend would appreciate it more than rent money. Along the way, he is mesmerized by a flock of seagulls. His thoughts drift as he watches them: "Our Father is in the evening. These birds are flying across the forehead of the Father. Dear birds, dear sea gulls, how I love you all" (John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat, 1935).
When Danny dies, Pilon and the other paisanos are not invited to the funeral. Pilon is deeply emotional and prompts all of them to burst into tears. His grief reflects the sincerity of the bonds that hold the paisano group together.
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