Rough Draft Second Paper

In Dubious Battle is published in 1936 by John Stenbeck. There is the main character, Jim Nolan, through the activity of an apple pickers' strike in a small California town. At the beginning of the book, Jim feels hopeless and powerless against the capitalist system that brought down him and his family. Jim wishes to find purpose and meaning in his life by joining the Party in order to attain the power to fight against the system. After joining the Party, Jim meets Mac McLeod, and Mac takes him along to the Torgas Valley to try to organize the apple pickers on strike after the growers’ association announced pay cut to fifteen cents. The author describes the struggle of migrant workers during the difficult years in the Great Depression. He points out clearly the pictures of how the working and farmer workers lived and suffered, and how the labor organization was going to be formed with hope to improve life for the poor workers. 

 Jim is the main protagonist, one of character in the novel presents for working class during the Great Depression in 1930s. After being released from jail for thirty day of vagrancy, Jim feels hopeless with his life because he thinks his “Whole family has been ruined by the system” (6).  His father was so much in labor trouble and always got beaten; his sister was disappeared suddenly; his mother died while he was in jail. Jim decides to join the Party in order to dedicate his life to fight for the working man; also he wants to do something that will give his life meaning, as he says “I want to work toward something. I feel dead. I thought I might get alive again” (8). In addition, Jim thinks to join the Party to make he feels wonderful to belong to something bigger than just the individual because his father fought the battles alone and always lost.  Jim is despairing because he does not see any hope or peacefulness from the whole system. He then wants to join to the Party as a part of a group and to work toward his goals.

 Jim is eager to work toward something meaning in his life and he does not hesitate to face dangerous while to work for the Party.  After joining the Party, Jim is introduced to Mac, Mac is veteran and also is Jim’s mentor to guide him to become a member of the Party. Jim is so enthusiastic to take action and he can not to wait any longer, as he tells Mac “What I’d really like to do is get into the field. I’d like to get into the action.” (21). Even Mac warns Jim that “In the field it’s hard work and dangerous work. But don’t think it’s so soft at the joint, either” (21).  One day, Mac learns that the growers’ association just announced a pay cut to the apple pickers. Mac tries to train Jim in field work by taking him to the apple orchard to organize the apple pickers on strike.  The point Mac wants to show Jim that the strike is not meant the owners raise the wages but “We want the men to find out how strong they are when they work together” (26).  When they arrive in the Valley, Mac and Jim help London’s daughter-in-law going into labor. After helping the girl, they gain the trust within the pickers quickly and gather the men into the group. Then there is an accident with old Dan, Mac and Jim eventually gather the men to start the strike, London and Dakin become the natural leaders of the group.

During the strike, there are various incidents involving the strikers and the orchard owners that are nearly caused the strike falling apart. At the beginning of the strike, Mac and Jim almost get captured because there is a snitch among the strikers.  By then Jim gains a little worry that the strike is going to be successful or not, he asks Mac “D’you think we’ll win this strike, Mac?” (121) Mac realizes that fact that a war cannot be won in a single battle, he replies to Jim “We haven’t a chance. I figure these guys here’ll probably start deserting as soon as much trouble starts. But you don’t want to worry about that, Jim. The thing will carry on and on. It’ll spread, and some day – it’ll work. Some day we’ll win. We’ve got to believe that”(121). Mac tries to explain Jim that no matter how the strike turns out but it has attention to show that the workers have rights to express their feelings and objectives.  Furthermore, during the pickets are marching at the train station, Joy is shot to death by a vigilante. Then, Al is a sympathizer whose lunch wagon is burned down and he gets injured. There is shortage of food supplies, the men get hungry and all they want just meat. The men are apathetic and Mac worries that the men start falling pieces as he says “I get so scared the strike’ll crack” (146).  Jim tries to encourage Mac and  he wants the strike will move on.

Role of Gender

In Dubious Battle is written by John Steinbeck about the struggles of farm workers and working class for surviving during the Depression of the 1930s. Jim Nolan, the protagonist, and his mentor, Mac McLeod, were organized the apple pickers on strike in the apple orchard of California during the 1930’s. Most of men involved in this strike, thus male gender plays the main role in this novel; beside women played small part in the novel.

The novel began with Jim’s decision to join the Party because he was hopeless. He mentioned his father, Mr. Nolan, had much trouble in labor and always got beat. Jim’s father was fighting against the bosses alone so he always lost. Jim has learnt from his own experience that fighting alone would lead to failure, thus Jim followed his father to fight against the boss system but he wanted to join the Party as a group. Jim wished to dedicate his life to the cause of his family and working workers. Jim could see a great purpose in the Party, as he said “I want to work toward something. I feel dead. I thought I might get alive again” (8).

After joining the Party, Jim met Mac and they worked together. Mac was Jim’s mentor and he trained Jim in field work by taking Jim to the apple orchard. Mac had experience in organizing strikes, but he was unwilling to let Jim involved in the activities of strike, rather he wanted Jim to take more time to learn in the field. Mac could gain the trust within the apple pickers quickly and he took advantages from the cause to push the pickers on strike. Mac was a strong representation of his belief and he was enthusiastic to work toward his goals and desires.  

In addition to Jim and Mac, London and Dakin were leaders of migrant workers to work in the farms and they wanted to fight for fairness and justice. Mr. Anderson was the farm owner; he agreed to let the strikers to camp on his land in exchange for free labor. By the end he was angry with Mac because his barn was set on fire and tried to kick the strikers out of his land. Al Anderson was a Party sympathizer and finally he was eager to join the Party.

For women, they played small part in the novel. Jim’s mother was described a housewife, she stayed home to take of her husband and children. Jim’s father always got beaten and came home all covered with blood; Jim’s mother washed his blood. She did not have any power in the house. She was a Catholic, but Jim’s father would not let her go to church because Jim’s father hated churches. Mrs. Dakin, Dakin’s wife, was described as “A fine, big-bosomed woman with a full face, …” (61). She lived under her husband’s authority, and obeyed her husband’s demand when he said “You and the kids better pay a call to Mrs. Schmidt, Alla” (62). She felt disappointment but she just followed, but “her lips pouted and closed over the gold” (62).

Difficulty Paper

             In Dubious Battle is written by John Steinbeck about the struggles of farm workers and working class for surviving during the Depression of the 1930s.  Because the circumstances were happened in 1930s, thus the subject matter within the time frame and languages were difficult to understand.

From beginning of the book, Jim Nolan was from a working class and was arrested for thirty days of vagrancy. After being released, Jim joined the Party due to the fact he was hopeless with his life. Besides Jim’s family was ruined, his father was so much in labor trouble and always got beaten; his sister was disappeared suddenly; his mother died when she has learnt that Jim was in jail.  One day, Jim met Mac McLeod and they went together down the Torgas Valley to help farm workers on strike for getting better wages and getting out of poverty, because the Growers’ Association announced a pay cut to the pickers. Down at the apple orchards, the opposed groups called Jim and Mac were “reds.” When I read to this, I thought “reds” mean Jim and Mac were in jail in and out for vagrancy pretty often.  I did not realize that “red” was used for Communist Party member. Sometimes, Jim and Mac were referred as radicals.  I thought a radical was represented for the Labor Union member. I was confused between those, so I came back to Introduction section and I re-read again in order to understand more about history and event related to the time frame of the novel.

Other difficulties I found in the novel were languages that the author used. Sometimes the author used slangs and farm workers’ languages that I have rarely heard. For example, Dan, the old man was an apple picker, said that “I was in the north woods when the Wobblies was raising hell. …”  (52). I did not know what was Wobblies meant, I had to go back to the Introduction to learn that "Wobblies" were member of the radical Industrial Workers of the World in 1905. Another example, the author used farm workers’ languages when they had conversations together, on page 186, Albert said “No idears, no money, no nothing.” And another sentence was said “When I’m workin’ and I get three dollars to the good and I get set to look up a floozy, somethin’ on this buggy busts and costs three dollars. …” The truth was I had no idea what Albert’s comment was, so I went to English Dictionary website to search for “Buggy is Older Slang – an automobile, especially an old or dilapidated one". 

               In conclusion, even In Dubious Battle was difficult to understand due to the time frame and languages. However, it was the great novel to learn abou the hard life of working class and farm workers struggled to survive during the Depression. Aslo they were outraged by mistreatment from the farm owners. The subject matter from the novel was related to the UFW organization was born in 1962. The UFW helps to protect farm workers against lower wages and also helps farm workers stay away from bad working condition.

Reader Response : UFW Website

On UFW website, on the section of “Take Action” is caught me by the information about: “Say NO to Methyl Iodide use in CA’s strawberry fields. Send your e-mail to Governor Jerry Brown NOW!”

              The Bush and Schwarzenegger administrations officials approved a new dangerous pesticide, methyl iodide, to use in California in 2007 and 2010, respectively. Scientists have called methyl iodide “one of the most toxic chemicals on earth.” In addition to causing cancer, it is known to induce late-term miscarriages and cause permanent neurological damage. Farm workers face the most serious health risks from methyl iodide. Neighboring communities also face increased health threats as the pesticide is airborne and drifts to where residents live, work and play. And methyl iodide would likely contaminate groundwater that will result in exposure for many people. On March 23, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown publicly stated that he would reconsider the decision to register methyl iodide in California. We should participate with the United Farm Worker to urge Governor Jerry Brown to ban methyl iodide in order to protect our public health and also to support farmer workers staying away from direct toxic exposure.  

  As a resident in California and also as a consumer of fruits and vegetables, methyl iodide use will impact to our lives, especially our children’s health in the future. Thinking about one of our love family may get sick because of methyl iodide chemical exposure. It is the top priority to support the United Farm Worker pushing Governor Jerry Brown to make decision right now on banning methyl iodide use.

U.S. Farm Worker's Rights

On March 23, 2011 Governor Jerry Brown publicly
stated that he would reconsider the decision to register
methyl iodide in California. Governor Jerry Brown
needs to take decisive action NOW and pull this
cancer-causer off the market, also it will effect the
most to farmworkers and residents living near by
strawberry fields in California.

The United Farm Workers of America was founded in 1962 by Cesar Chavez. It is the the nation's first successful and largest farm workers union currently active in 10 states.

The U.S. Farm Worker's Rights are rights to protect farm workers with core values of:
- Integrity: Doing the right thing even when no one is looking
- Si Se Puede® Attitude: The embodiment of a personal and organizational spirit that promotes confidence, courage and risk taking
- Innovation: The active pursuit of new ideas
- Non-Violence: Engaging in disciplined action
- Empowerment: A fundamental belief in and respect for people

With the U.S. Farm Worker's Rights, it is mostly to assist successfully farm workers to fight for better wages, to improve better working condition, and to fight against harsh rules from employers.