Reader Response on In Dubious Battle
In the beginning of the book we are introduced to a young man by the name of Jim Nolan. As the book initiates he is saying good bye to his land lady Mrs. Meer. He is getting ready to depart from his old pointless life and begin a new one by joining “the party”. The first chapters give the reader a lot of background information on Jim and his family. For example he goes on to tell us his dad had plans to blow up the slaughter house where he worked. But instead he was shot in the chest from a riot bomb. He gives the reader the sense that Jim’s dad was an angry drunk; his mom had no say in anything and basically followed the dad’s rules. Shortly he reveals his mom dies as well, and his older sister mysteriously disappears one evening when they were young teens.
As he continues to tell Nilson about his life I realize that Nilson is reviewing some sort of application Nolan Submitted to join the party. Nilson tells Jim he will submit the application but it’s really up to the men to except it. The author never really tells the reader what the party actually is. But as I read on I concluded it was some sort of organization that stands up for the pickers rights. Jim learns of such organization when he was put in jail for vagrancy. Nilson asked Jim why he wanted to join the party he says, “In jail there were some Party men. Their life weren’t messes. They were working toward something. I want to work toward something. I feel dead. I thought I might get alive again” (8). As I read this quote it gave me a better understanding of Jim’s life and how hopeless he felt. It amazed me how willing he was to just leave everything and try to join the Party. I could tell he really had no real idea of what he was getting himself into but as long as it had a cause he was for it. Jim was just trying to make something of his life. I got the sense that he hated his life and wanted to be a part of something bigger. In that same chapter Jim says something I could really connect to and understand. He says to Nilson, “Did you ever work at a job where, when you got enough skill to get a raise in pay, you were fired and a new man put in? Did you ever work in a place where they talked about loyalty to the firm, and loyalty meant spying on the people around you? Hell I’ve got nothing to lose” (10). The author chose specific words that perhaps readers now a day can connect to. I really understand what Jim is talking about because I’ve seen it happen over and over in the retail business. It breaks my heart to admit it but most managers are forced to get rid of good workers because of their earned raises. It’s hard to believe but there is always someone out there willing to do your job at a cheaper cost.
In the next few chapters we are introduced to some of the members of the Party. Nilson takes Jim to a cottage where he meets Mac, Dick, and Joy. Mac seems to be the leader in the Party. Dick is describes as very handsome and uses his looks to get anything out of anyone. Joy is and old restless veteran. He just goes on about how he was beaten for speaking his mind. As soon as Jim arrives he is put to work on typing some kind of letter. It’s hard to say what the party members are up to. Shortly after typing 20 copies Jim and Mac walk out and start looking for mailboxes. As they walk Jim does most of the talking he goes on about why he wanted to join the party, and he talks more about how the Party men are mad at the whole Capitalist system. Then basically Mac tells Jim he is happy to have him as part of the party.
Later on Mac mentions that a Growers Association in Torgas Valley had announced a pay cut to their pickers. Mac thinks this is a good opportunity to head over there and start a ruckus since the pickers are really upset about the pay cut. So they plan to head over and start working as apple pickers all the while they start an undercover plan to eventually start a strike with all the men down there. The idea is to fire up all the apple pickers to get them to strategically strike against the capitalist system. Eventually if they are successful the cotton pickers won’t be taken advantage of in the near future.
To be continue...
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