Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Bibliography

Introduction

Before we discuss the meaning of physical symbolism in Thomas Bells novel Out of this Furnace, we will need to briefly outline its semantic contents. The novel can be best described as an epical story of three generations of Slovak immigrants on the path of adopting a fully American existential identity. Just like so many other highly adventurous but uneducated romantics that were willing to sacrifice everything, in order to try their luck with winning American dream, Djuro Kracha comes to this country in high hopes of fast enrichment. However, the reality had proven to be much harsher then he could ever think of.

Main body

At the beginning, he works in railway industry but then decides to follow one of his friends to Homestead, where he opens up a butcher shop, but eventually becomes bankrupt, while being left with no choice but to get a job at the steel mill. Krachas new job and his addiction to heavy drinking cause his health to deteriorate rapidly. Even before he reaches the age of 45, Kracha dies, with his extended family being left behind without the provider.

The second part of the novel is the story of Michael Dobrejcak, who marries one of Krachas daughters Mary. There are many behavioral similarities could be found between him and Kracha, which prompt readers to assume that Dobrejcak would eventually end up just like his father in law. Yet, the action takes place in different America unions begin to gain political influence. While being able to speak fluent English, Michael gradually becomes aware of his essential civil rights and freedoms, which in its turn, encourages him to become one of unions most prominent members. Despite the fact that Michael would often prove himself unable to provide his family with decent living, he never losses his optimism. The most important difference between him and Kracha is that Michael joins other workers in their never-ending struggle for fair wages and better working conditions. This does not bring any immediate results, but even while being poor and miserable, Michael never lets go of his sense of self-respect.

The third part of Out of this Furnace discusses the events described in Part 2, although from Marys point of view. Just like in previous parts, the theme of hard labor provide Marys story with structural integrity. It is namely this part of the novel, which leaves readers with no doubts as to fact that Out of this Furnace was meant to serve as literary vehicle of promoting Socialist agenda, because Mary appears to perceive surrounding reality as politician, rather then wife and mother.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that, even while describing main characters domestic routine, author wanted to bring readers attention to what he considered as obstacles, on the way of proletariat liberating itself from capitalist oppression. This is because, as we have suggested earlier, Bells novel was meant to serve as the tool of political propaganda, which is why many physical objects, mentioned in Out of this Furnace, perpetrate a highly symbolical message, throughout the novel. One of such objects is bottle with vyshnevka (strong cherry vine, popular in Eastern Europe). Before stepping aboard the ship that would take him to America, Kracha stashes his bag with a few bottles of this drink. Yet, upon his arrival to America, custom officials confiscate bottles with vyshnevka, as they suspect them of being contaminated. It was namely at this moment, when Kracha had realized the fact that his deep affiliation with cultural traditions of his country would forever deem him as alien, in the eyes of native-born Americans. In its turn, this actually made him to feel like having a drink for the first time, after his landing. Thus, from the very beginning on his novel, Bell brings our attention to the issue of alcoholic addiction as such that greatly undermines immigrants chances of succeeding in their newly adopted countries. Even at the time when Kracha is shown as successfully running a butcher shop, he never refuses himself a pleasure of having a few shots of home-made vyshnevka every day. However, his fondness of this cherry vine assumes truly pathologic subtleties, after he is being forced to close down his shop and to take a job at the mill. Whereas, at the beginning of his existential decline, Kracha tries to justify its alcoholic addiction in his own eyes by referring to vyshnevka as reminder of my youthful days, by the time he fully succumbs to alcoholism, Kracha seems to only drink for the sake of doing it, without any second thoughts lingering in his mind.

After beginning to read novels second part, we realize that the issue of alcoholism would most likely to affect the lives of Michael Dobrejcak and his wife, because Bell mentions the bottles with vyshnevka being stored in couples house. This actually turns out to be the case Michael seems to resort to drinking vine, every time he faces lifes challenges. At the same time, author describes him as being well aware of his drinking limits. This is the reason why Michael never drinks himself into oblivion, as it was often the case with Kracha. However, it appears that Michaels more responsible attitude towards drinking has nothing to do with him being a better man, but simply with the fact that Michael is simply more American then Slovak, which is why he seems to rely on his sense of rationale, during the course of making important decisions, to far greater extent, comparing to his father in law. Moreover, Michael never thinks of vyshnevka as signifying a cultural value. For him, it is nothing but ethnic booze, which can be made at home with apparent ease.

In the third part of Bells novel, vyshnevka continues to remain prominently featured, throughout its entirety. However, unlike it is the case with Kracha and Michael, Marys attitude towards this national drink appears to be strongly negative. Even though Mary is being held by Michael in submissive position, she nevertheless does not think of such situation as natural. She never gets tired of suggesting that their family would be much better off, had the bottles with vyshnevka been thrown away. Moreover, it is namely Mary, who strives to enlighten her husband on the fact that alcoholic addiction is nothing but one among many tools of capitalist oppression.

Conclusion

Even though, Thomas Bell is being commonly thought of as author who promoted left-wing Socialist and even Communist agenda, he would probably be treated as intolerant bigot, if he was still alive today. This is because in Out of this Furnace, author clearly associates immigrants preoccupation with celebration of ethnic uniqueness with their inability to advance in life. In Bells novel, vyshnevka symbolizes retrogradeness, passivity, and weak mindedness. Author suggests that immigrants loyalty to their cultural traditions is counter-productive in its very essence, because it prevents them from fully integrating into American society. Also, these traditions correspond to the virtual absence of gender egalitarianism, within families of immigrants. Moreover, author implies that the process if immigrants being gradually deprived of their cultural traditions is not only natural, but also utterly beneficial to the well-being of these people. In other words those who immigrate to this country must be willing to become Americans, in full sense of this word, rather then continuing to remain essentially aliens, although with American passports in their pockets.

Bibliography

Bell, Thomas Out Of This Furnace: A Novel of Immigrant Labor in America. Pittsburg: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976.

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Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell

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