Unions Symbol Analysis

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 their own lives. At the heart of the novel is the long, steady progression from a futile hopelessness on the part of the steelworkers towards a sense of hope embodied in the birth of a new labor movement after a half-century of struggle. After beginning with the death of unions, the novel settles into a long period where unions are spoken of and hoped for, but cannot materialize, as the power of the steel company is simply too strong. Finally, the union begins to show signs of life again with the onset of the Depression, the New Deal, and the new organizing efforts from Dobie and the CIO. Even in the late 1880s, when unskilled Slovak workers could not be members of a union, workers like Andrej understand that only unions can fight the greed of the steel magnates. “Don't fool yourself, “he tells Kracha, “If the union lets Frick have his way it will be the finish for everybody.” Andrej understands that the company abuses union and non-union workers alike. Mike Dobrejcak, for example, wallows in the despair that a non-unionized steel labor force creates, to the point where he cannot even discuss unions with other workers without being suspected for a company spy. Not until the novel’s climax does the union transcend from a hopeful symbol into a tangible reality. Dobie and his fellow workers’ organizing efforts help bring the CIO to Braddock, thereby bringing the hope of better wages, safer conditions, and time off from the grueling, dangerous mill work.