Cannery Row Lesson Plan

What does Henri's unwillingness to finish his boat say about him as a person?

Although Henri plays a minor role in Cannery Row, the chapter devoted to him sheds a fair bit of insight into his inner workings. Ask students to consider why a man would start a project with no intention of ever finishing it. Ostensibly, Henri is scared of the ocean, but there is more to uncover. Building the boat is the closest thing that Henri has to a purpose in life, and finishing it will leave him without one. Consider that he lives his life with a series of labels that don't actually apply to him: even his name and occupation are false.

Would you be able to forgive Mack as readily...