Hopeless Ambition

6 Pages 1479 Words

During the late 1800’s immigrants flocked to America in record numbers. They came to America with high hopes of freedom and opportunity. Freedoms they could not have enjoyed in the countries they formerly called home. They came to America looking for the chance to rise above the common man and make a name for themselves. America’s capitalist system is based on that very idea. However, this system was set up for the common man, by the common man and issues such as racism were not initially taken into account. Race can keep you from being treated with respect, keep you from getting a job or even keep you from renting a house. Because of this George, Mike and Elena are forced to live in a country that although brags of freedom, the circumstances of their freedom are not ideal.
There is no better example of racism in Braddock than at the steel mill. There is not one Slovak ever mentioned in Out of This Furnace that had a management position at the mill. Almost every one of them worked at the mill from the day they were old enough until the day they died without any hope of ever receiving higher pay than people just starting out. “I’ve seen them hire Irish, Johnny Bulls, Scotties, just off the boat and knowing no more about a steel mill than Mikie there, and in a year they’re giving me orders. Not once or twice but many times… But I’m a Hunky and they don’t give good jobs to Hunkies.” (Bell 184). It’s understandable that mike would be frustrated after 20 years of service and no raise, especially when people who only worked there for a few years were making more money than him. This is not the only time Mike spoke of the hopelessness of working at the mill. He lived his whole life deserving more than he was given, but never received anything because of the country he was from.
George felt the same sense of hopelessness towards his job as Mike and everyone else in Braddock, but he was one of the few peopl...