"Out of This Furnace"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the novel "Out of This Furnace" by Thomas Bell, which is set in a Pennsylvania mill town and portrays the struggles of several working class families who are attempting to survive in early 20th century industrial America. The paper focuses on the issues of class and the awareness of class which has a crucial role in the ideological themes put forth in the novel, as the mills grapple with the issues of worker safety, capitalism's exploitation of immigrant labor and unionization.

From the Paper:

"Dobie attempts to cover up his immigrant past through the use of money, rather than taking pride in the hard work and labor of his father. Unlike Kracha, as a native-born American, albeit to a working class home, Dobie can partly erases his class and ethnic origin through "the effect of his clothes" and "his easy way with a dollar" (264) Dobie has lost his sense of personal, ethnic history to such an extent that he is surprised to discover that his generation is not the first to lobby for unions. But although Dobie's sense of ethnic origin is not strong, he sees himself as elevated above the working class, even when he strives to improve the conditions of the workers through unionization. While ethnicity is no longer central to the younger generation, an affiliation with the working class is not a source of pride."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bell, Thomas. Out of This Furnace. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976.

More papers on "Out of This Furnace":

• Analytical Essay # 124705 : "Immigrants in "Out of This Furnace"
• Book Review # 98738 : "Out of this Furnace"
• Analytical Essay # 44510 : "Out of This Furnace"
• Analytical Essay # 28351 : "Out of This Furnace"

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