Even though we usually get a nice, shiny picture of life in Tortilla Flat, full of shenanigans and funny goings-on, the area is actually the poor part of Monterey, and the people who live there have limited choices because of their social class.
However, this doesn't mean that there isn't another hierarchy-within-a-hierarchy of big shots and little guys within Tortilla Flat, a class system tucked inside the class system. We can see the way that Danny, the protagonist, rises and falls in Tortilla Flat society based on his possessions and property, for instance.
Danny has a lot of problems accepting the responsibilities of adulthood. How much of this difficulty is based on the fact that he's living in a poor area in an already economically depressed country? Would he be happier if he had more opportunities beyond just owning a shabby house or two? What does social class really have to do with Danny's—and his friends'—problems?
Questions About Society and Class
- How does Danny experience social class, and how is it different from the way his grandfather or Pilon experience it?
- What kinds of rules does the society of Tortilla Flat have for its residents? Are there any residents who stray from those rules?
- How does homeownership play into society and class in Tortilla Flat?
- Why do you think women like Mrs. Morales and Sweets Ramirez react the way they do to Danny's inheritance?
Chew on This
Tortilla Flat is just as divided by class as the rest of the country is. It's a microcosm of the United States.
The people of Tortilla Flat are all part of the same social class.