Full of Beans

The coffins that Johnny Cakes brings to Key West from Cuba are especially strong symbols of deceit and directly support the theme of “Deceit and Distrust in Hard Times.” Johnny claims there is a “terrible malaria epidemic in Havana. These poor fishermen got caught up in it I’m afraid […]. I’d just dropped off my cargo, so I volunteered to bring them home so their families here can see them on their way” (15). He plays the noble do-gooder here, so much so that Kermit ironically calls Johnny a “Good Samaritan” and assures him that he will end up in heaven “for sure” (15). The coffins, of course, hold bottles of liquor, illegal because Johnny “refuse[s] to pay the government for a liquor license” (48). The deceit surrounding the coffins extends to Beans’s involvement with Johnny Cakes later in the story as he rings false fire alarms while Johnny moves the coffins back to his boat. At first, Beans rationalizes his role in the deceit as the money he earns will help his family, but the consequences of his deception result in severe damage by fire to his best friend’s home.