Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Thomas Bell – Out of This Furnace: A Novel of Immigrant Labor in America
Introduction
The story revolves around an immigrant family that moves to America. Bell discusses the experiences of three generations of this family in America. The story begins when George Karcha, a Slovakian, embarks on a journey from Germany to America, where he intends to meet his sister. A while later, his wife joins him, and they bear three daughters. During this time in America, most labor comes from the immigrants; thus, Kracha finds a job at a steel mill. Mary Karcha, one of George Karcha’s daughters, marries Mike Dobrejcak, a fellow Slovakian immigrant, and they have four children, John, Pauline, Mikie, and Agnes. However, given the heavy labor that both Mary and Mike have to endure, their health deteriorates, and Mike dies in an accident at the mill. A while later, his wife and daughter Pauline also die after suffering from influenza.
With these changes, the remaining Dobrejcak children struggle to make ends meet by providing casual labor in American industries. Despite the economic struggles brought by the Great Depression, these individuals survive on the little they can get. John, whose name is now Dobbie, becomes involved in work union politics and advocates for immigrant workers’ rights in America. Despite the threats and resistance he receives, he keeps in his course, urging workers to stand up for better compensation. Through his efforts in supporting the union, he gets the long-overdue hearing concerning the unsuitable work conditions at the mills. This win opens his eyes to the fight ahead, which involves standing up for people’s rights despite their race or background.
George Kracha’s journey and experiences
As Bell explains, Kracha leaves his home and his family and heads to Pennsylvania to meet his sister’s husband. Despite knowing the risks that await him on his journey, he is nonetheless determined to make it safe while traveling alone on the sea. Kracha’s motivation to leave his homeland stems from the lack of employment and the extreme poverty he is subjected to. The journey he embarks on is not comfortable. First, he recklessly spends his money on board to please a woman, Zuska. This extravagance leaves him no other choice but to embark on the “tedious process of putting one foot before the other” (Bell, p.5) to get to his next destination as he can no longer afford a train ticket. Being unfamiliar to the United States, George finds himself asking for food, risking his health and safety, and sleeping in people’s barns as he walks from New York to Pennsylvania. Even so, these challenges do not stop him from understanding how leaving his homeland to work in America gives him some hope, knowing that he will soon have enough to feed himself and his family. As he assures himself upon arriving in Pennsylvania, “It was America, of course, but he would not feel himself really in America until he was in White Haven, secure in a job and a place to live.” (Bell, p.6).
George Krachas’s work experience
George Kracha takes a lot of odd jobs hoping that his financial status in America will increase significantly. He begins by fixing rails and farming for extra income. Because the company makes its employees relocate a lot, Kracha decides to take up a job at the steel mills, which are notorious for significant amounts of pollution in the neighborhood. The reality of manual labor as an immigrant begins dawning in Kracha when he realizes that he cannot manage to make ends meet for himself and his family despite his hard work. Additionally, the working conditions in these mills are very unfavorable. When he visits his friend Dubik, Kracha states that he works so hard, nonstop, to a point he can no longer state his name (Bell, p.19). This statement presents the reality of trying to get better wages in America as an immigrant. Besides exposure to toxic fumes and exhaustive work, the pay is not promising as it does not correspond to the physical effort that these laborers exert.
The jobs are not safe at all. For instance, at the very height of capitalism in the mill, Kracha says that he does not mind holding the job despite these hazards. As Bell puts it, “The company lost no opportunity to impress upon him that his services could be dispensed with at any time,” (Bell, p.44). Thus, the immigrant workers in America do not care much for safety at this point, as long as they have jobs and enough to feed their families. Even so, it is evident that Kracha’s family still lacks necessities, and most women have to work at the borders to help their spouses feed their families. For this reason, the ideal life that these immigrants hoped-for end up replaced by extreme labor for little pay.
How generations of men reacted and challenged poor conditions
George resists any form of Americanization upon getting his job at the mills. While at work, he urges his fellows to desist from losing their authenticity as Slovaks. This resistance comes from the familiarity that he enjoys from being associated with fellow Slovaks. When he meets Dubik and makes friends with him, he states how “being around him felt like being around a younger brother” (Bell, p.9). Since he cannot articulate his English thoughts, he feels that Americanization will take away his identity. The same mentality keeps him from participating in elections and protesting the greed they experience at the mills. For him, the little he gets from his job sustains him, despite these deplorable conditions.
Mike Dobrejcak, as described by Bell, is an intelligent Slovakian immigrant. He acts as an advancement to the plot by portraying characters better than those of George. Besides his ability to read and write Slovak, Mike is interested in learning English and becoming an American citizen. His intellect helps him get involved in protesting the harmful and exploitative systems in the mills. Even though dies tragically in a mill accident, Mike’s hope for a better future for immigrants plays a significant role in the plot and the second generation in the novel.
Dobie stands out by attaining an education, then becoming involved in politics shortly after becoming Americanized. Although his grandfather enlightens him on the value of retaining his heritage as a Slovakian, he has a great interest in advocating for the rights of the workers in the mills. After the Great Depression, Dobie is elected to the union as a representative. He testifies in a case that amplifies the worker’s rights and paves the way for fair treatment of laborers in the future. His confidence and work experience enable him to achieve this grand fete.
Women’s experiences
Elena takes care of home affairs, given her illness. She would clean to try and please her husband, Kracha, but to no avail. As Dubik tells Karcha, “She had to work hard, cooking, washing, scrubbing; and what pleasure did she ever get? Women had a hard time of it, Dubik said. Put yourself in her place. How would you like to live her life, eh?” (Bell, p.22). Despite the nonchalance displayed by her husband, she does her best to maintain the family and ensure they never lack. Her health deteriorates, and she loses her life.
Francka tried to keep her family together despite the deplorable conditions in which they live. She takes her brother in after his second wife leaves him. She also works towards providing for other Slovak immigrants who are not her family members. Her efforts toward maintaining the family unit are quite evident.
Mary works hard to sustain her family. Her work revolves around taking care of the home affairs and maintaining borders to fill in Mike’s little salary gaps. Although her efforts go unappreciated, Mary is diligent and determined to provide for her family. Her ceaseless working threatens her work, and later she contracts influenza and passes away. Julie’s life is significantly different, being Dobie’s wife. She does not work and enjoys a good life as a result of her husband’s success. Zuska plays a detrimental role, given her extravagance and unwillingness to work. Most women in the plot display support for the family structure despite no appreciation from their male counterparts.
Book review and recommendation
I learned a lot from reading this book. Understanding the labor situation in America from the late 1890s to the 1990s helped me appreciate the steps the country has taken in making work conditions more bearable, especially for immigrants. Reading also enlightened me towards the Great Depression and how badly it affected laborers and how much unions have helped these individuals find their voice and stand up for themselves. I would recommend to someone to read. Since it talks about the same family through three generations, the story is much easier to understand. Additionally, including familiar immigrant challenges and the new experiences these individuals have upon arriving in America makes Bell’s narration even more poignant.
Work Cited
Bell, Thomas. Out of this Furnace. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1941.