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Motifs
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Key Examples in Cannery Row
Chapter 16
Explanation and Analysis—Soft, Hard Dora:
Dora Flood runs the Bear Flag Restaurant, a brothel central to social life on Cannery Row. During an influenza outbreak, Dora keeps her business open, using it to provide the community with food, entertainment and even medical care. Steinbeck uses a paradox to describe Dora's mix of kindness and resoluteness that allows her to show up for her community:
Dora, who was soft as a mouse’s belly, could be as hard as carborundum.
Related Themes:
