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.