Out Of This Furnace Analysis

Words: 392
Pages: 2

Most of us in America self-identify as middle working class, and members of the working class observe every day how their efforts contribute to the economy. When major historical events strike on us, it does make it difficult to continue life in an enjoyable fashion. It seems to me that working class people have to work much harder to keep lives afloat. However, it is noticeable that every generation seems to experience these struggles in various different ways.

The primary focus of Out of this Furnace was to describe the evolution of struggles each generation was faced with as an immigrant and as members of the working class. Sometimes it was necessary to leave family members behind to discover a more successful life. This is true in today's society as well. I know many people that left behind families in Mexico so that they can attempt to live the
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People were constantly getting laid off from jobs. The government had little money to spend on relief because of large national debt and shrinking income. This led to widespread poverty, starvation, and sometimes death. It was hard for working class members to continue to grow their families in such tragic situations.

Tragic events are just temporary moments in history. These unfortunate situations eventually become part of historical journals and lives continue to develop. In the conclusion of Out of this Furnace, Bell explains that decisions implemented by the NLRB made it illegal for employers to resist unionization efforts. This was a great outcome from all the years of struggle. Bell notes of the Wagner Act that it was significant in bringing to an end the “fifty-year struggles to free the steel towns” (406). While the Wagner Act and unionization did not resolve all the problems faced by steel workers, it did free future generations of workers from the oppression that had characterized previous