Реферат: In Dubious Battle Essay Research Paper In

In Dubious Battle Essay, Research Paper

In Dubious Battle

Most people?s first impression when reading In Dubious Battle, by John

Steinbeck, is that it is meant to act as communist propaganda. Some even believed that

Steinbeck himself was an advocate of the resurgence of the communist party in the first

half of the twentieth century. Whether he was or not is a moot point; the fact is that In

Dubious Battle is not communist propaganda. Several themes are present that relate to

the American people then and even today, but communism isn?t one of them. Steinbeck

uses the position of some communist radicals during the thirties as a springboard for

other themes. These themes include but are not limited to: it is nessicary for men to work

together and be part of a group, everyone must know who they are and know where they

are headed, struggles must be conquered step by step, some things just keep changing,

and that some things really don?t have a definitive ending.

In Dubious Battle takes place in the apple orchards of California during the

1920?s. It revolves around the actions of two communist radicals, Mac and Jim. The

story opens at Jim?s decision to join ?the party?. He meets Mac and is taken under his

wing. Initially Jim?s only duties are typing letters and other various petty odd-jobs. This

soon changes. Mac learns of frustration over wage cuts of some apple pickers in the

Torgas Valley and sees a chance to ?get a good ruckus going? and Jim?s first real

communist activity.

Once they arrive in the Valley, Mac and Jim get a bit of luck by coming across

one of the pickers daughters going into labor. By helping the girl, they earn the trust of

the other pickers and are taken into the group. They then proceed to go to the orchards

with the other men in hopes to promote a strike. They eventually get into some of the

men?s heads and the idea of a strike starts to circulate and they get close to some of the

natural leaders of the group, London and Darkin. The strike finally breaks and Mac does

a lot to get the workers organized and working together.

There are various incidents involving the strikers and the orchard owners. All

through this Jim is getting increasingly antsy and wants to do more than follow Mac

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