Out of This Furnace

Out of This Furnace

by

Thomas Bell

Out of This Furnace Symbols

Steel Mills

The formidable presence of the steel mill dominates every facet of life in Braddock and other industrial towns in western Pennsylvania. In Bell’s novel, the steel mill symbolizes America itself, both its good and bad…

read analysis of Steel Mills

Unions

Out of This Furnace is a novel about hope, and its greatest symbol of hope is the union. The union symbolizes hope because only the union can give the steelworkers a measure of autonomy over…

read analysis of Unions