Out of this Furnace, by Thomas Bell

The book Out of this Furnace written by Thomas Bell is about a Slovak family immigration to America. Immigrating to America for the Slovak family brought trials and problems. The work that was available for the George, Mike and Johnny is hard and requires long hours of work, for very little pay. The family came hoping to get a better life. But in the end the American dream became very hard for them to reach. Jobs were hard to find and working in the mill required movement from place to place, finding a home for the family was difficult and making sure that family was happy and taken care wasn’t easy. Reaching the American dream was difficult for the immigrants, especially for the Slovak family.

Working in the mills is physically demanding. The work that men due are dangerous and accidents and injuries take place at the mill. Life in the steel towns involves the same twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week. Every week there is a shift of working days and nights. On turn days the men work a twenty-hours straight, which leads to tempers and accidents. “Hope sustained him, as it sustained them all; hope and the human.” (Bell, 47) They hoped that the jobs would be there and the money would steadily come in. As Pervosky says, “No work, no pork, no money, no boloney.” (Bell, 268) Without work the men would not be able to provide for their families.

Money was tough for people to come by. As Dobie says, “Money sure can buy nice stuff can’t it? Boy, if you had the dough you sure could fix up a swell house. (Bell, 309) Money could do so much for person. Often times there was not enough money to buy meat or pay the bills. Money would come in on paydays and often that would be the only day when the family had money. Like when Francka sar...

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...heir families. Life was difficult for those who came. The work available was hazardous and offered low wages. Housing was typically overcrowded and not clean for safe living. People came hoping that we would experience the gold paved roads of success. But the realities were obviously different as Bell shows the struggles that immigrants have throughout the book with George and the other Slovaks who immigrate to America. Life was not so grand and was often truly difficult and everything that the immigrants hoped and dreamed about America became so different and untrue. Reaching the American dream for the immigrants became unrealistic and unachievable despite all the hope and effort they stirred to stay afloat and to make it in America.

Works Cited

Bell, Thomas, and David P. Demarest. Out of This Furnance. Pittsburgh: Univ of Pittsburgh Pr., 1979. Print.