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Part 4, Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Out of This Furnace, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Immigration and American Identity
Industrialization and Destruction
The American Dream vs. Reality
Women’s Work
Capital vs. Labor
Summary
Analysis
One day, not long after Kracha’s funeral, Dobie arrives home to find Julie in a fit of excitement. She is wearing one of her best dresses, and she has fixed her hair up neatly. Dobie asks if they are going out tonight, to which she replies in the negative. Throughout the evening Julie acts coy and squirms around, obviously holding onto a secret that she is knowingly not telling Dobie. “You've got something on your mind,” he tells her. She asks him what kind of girl he imagined marrying before he met her. “My dream gal,” he responds, “was a fat blonde who could play the piano.” Julie is slightly aghast, but Dobie explains that he liked blonde women because their leg hair is light, and that when he was younger, he wanted a plump woman. As for the piano: he likes piano music.
This extended passage is one of several that highlights the deep romantic attachment between Julie and Dobie. Their banter may be playful on the surface, but on a deeper level, it reveals their mutual respect for each other as equals in a committed partnership—a partnership that is very different from many others in the novel. They are able to joke about Dobie’s past romantic preferences because the strength of their relationship allows them to make light of such topics. Julie is more than just Dobie’s wife; she is his confidant.
Themes
Julie continues to smile and play coy, asking Dobie teasing questions about their relationship. They then discuss paying off their debt, the new washing machine, and the seemingly remote possibility of Julie getting pregnant. Finally, Dobie figures out what Julie is coyly hiding from him. “I knew there was something,” he exclaims, “you're going to have a baby.” Julie looks at him. “I've been keeping it a secret since last month till I could be sure and surprise you,” she says, “but you always guess everything.” She tells him the baby should come by March or April, and while they are both overjoyed, they will have to keep track of spending now that Kracha’s pension payments have ceased.
Bell deliberately connects Julie’s pregnancy with a seemingly unrelated discussion about the washing machine and getting out of debt. The arrival of a baby, like a washing machine, is another step in building the Dobrejcaks’ vision of the American Dream. Fittingly, Bell notes how Kracha’s pension payments cease with his death just as the promise of new life emerges with Julie’s pregnancy. Following a death, the cycle of life begins again.
Themes
