Cannery Row

by

John Steinbeck

Sam Malloy Character Analysis

A man who finds a large and empty boiler in the “vacant lot” near Lee Chong’s grocery store. Because he and his wife have nowhere else to live, they decide to move into the boiler, eventually furnishing it as if it’s a house. Before long, Sam starts renting out the empty pipes that sit nearby, leasing them to other people when Cannery Row experiences a housing shortage.
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Sam Malloy Character Timeline in Cannery Row

The timeline below shows where the character Sam Malloy appears in Cannery Row. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
Loneliness, Melancholy, and Happiness Theme Icon
...it into a home. After moving a mattress inside, they take up residence within, and Sam Malloy starts renting empty nearby pipes to other homeless people. Soon, though, Mrs. Malloy tires of... (full context)
Chapter 9
Vice and Virtue Theme Icon
Kindness, Empathy, and Friendship Theme Icon
When Doc returns from collecting starfish, Mack goes to Western Biological, passing Sam Malloy on his way. “You know any kind of glue that you can stick cloth to... (full context)
Chapter 23
Loneliness, Melancholy, and Happiness Theme Icon
Kindness, Empathy, and Friendship Theme Icon
During this time period, “evil” seeps throughout the community. Sam Malloy , for his part, has a “number of fights with his wife.” What’s more, “a... (full context)
Chapter 27
Kindness, Empathy, and Friendship Theme Icon
...Chong prepares “a twenty-five-foot string of firecrackers and a big bag of China lily bulbs.” Sam Malloy , who is an avid collector, settles on giving Doc “the connecting rod and piston... (full context)