Class Struggle and Labor

Where it surfaces

• V

  Bunny observes two pale, listless boys in a ranch wagon, wondering why people are poor and no one helps them, contrasting his own privileged life.

• II: The Lease

  Ross's speech contrasts 'oil men' with 'speculators' and 'gamblers,' reflecting class tensions in the oil industry.

• II

  The diverse group of property owners, from wealthy real estate agents to struggling carpenters and plasterers, reveals class tensions and conflicting interests over the lease.

• III

  The conflict between small, medium, and corner-lot owners mirrors class divisions, with each group fighting for a fair share of the oil wealth and accusing others of exploitation.

• VII

  The contrast between wealthy landowners and poor workingmen like the stooped old man reflects class tensions.

• VIII

  Paul's inability to find work due to his background and the economic desperation that forces him to rely on charity from relatives.

• III: The Drilling

  The drilling crew's respect for Dad as a 'real guy' who eats with them contrasts with the ruin of working-class investors like Mrs. Groarty and Mr. Dumpery.

• I

  Workers are well-paid and carefree, contrasting with the boss's worry, illustrating class relations in the oil industry.

• III

  Bunny becomes aware of his own privileged comfort contrasted with Paul's homelessness and hunger, highlighting class divides.

• VI

  Dad Ross's constant complaints about the 'shiftlessness' of his workers and the deliberate 'twist-off' illustrate the tension between management and labor.

• VII

  Bertie's snobbery and disdain for the Groartys highlight class divisions, while Paul's rejection of unearned money underscores labor ethics.

• VII

  Ruth's barefoot labor contrasts with Aunt Emma's luxury, highlighting economic inequality.

• IV

  The stark poverty of the Watkins home contrasts with the Rosses' relative comfort, highlighting class divisions.

• VI

  Joe Gundha's death and the letters from his impoverished family highlight the vulnerability of working-class men in the oil fields.

• VII: The Strike

  The chapter centers on the impending strike, union organizing, and the conflict between workers demanding fair wages and hours and employers bound by a federation that resists concessions.

• I

  Bunny's concern over workers' long hours and ugly living conditions contrasts with his father's business-first attitude, illustrating the tension between capital and labor.

• II

  The chapter centers on the conflict between labor and capital, with Paul and Tom Axton advocating for workers' rights against the Employers' Federation and Dad's ambivalent stance.

• III

  The conflict between the union committee and the employers' Federation, with Dad caught between his sympathy for workers and his business obligations.

• IV

  The chapter vividly depicts the strike, the solidarity of workers, and the systemic power imbalance between employers and laborers.

• V

  The strike is the central focus, with Paul advocating for the three-shift day and workers' rights, while Bunny feels torn between his family's interests and the strikers' cause.

• VI

  The strike and family arguments reveal deep class divisions, with Bunny caught between sympathy for workers and his family's wealth.

• VII

  The strike exposes the brutal exploitation of oil workers, who face starvation, violence, and blacklisting while operators prioritize profits.

• VIII

  The strike and the conflict between Bunny's sympathy for the workers and his father's position as an operator highlight the class divide and labor tensions.

• IX

  The chapter highlights the conflict between oil workers and the Employers' Federation, with federal intervention promising a living wage and eight-hour day, symbolizing a temporary truce in the class struggle.

• VIII: The War

  Paul's low army pay versus Tommy Hoyt's millions and Dad's oil profits highlight class disparities during wartime.

• VI

  Paul's labor as a barracks builder versus the wealth of oil contractors.

• IX

  The contrasting views of the wealthy on consumption—buying luxuries versus cheap goods—highlight class divisions and the performative nature of wartime sacrifice.

• XI: The Rebel

  Bunny's interactions with working-class and Jewish students highlight class divisions at the university and in society.

• I

  Bunny's interactions with Rachel, Peter, and Gregor highlight the clash between his privileged background and the socialist ideas he is exploring.

• VII

  The Socialist meeting is depicted as a gathering of dangerous working-class and intellectual radicals, and the call for 'Hands off Russia' is interpreted as a threat to capitalist interests like Ross Consolidated.

• XII: The Siren

  Paul's radical study groups, the threat of a strike, and the tension between workers and owners highlight the deepening class conflict.

• I

  Bunny's exposure to Paul's labor classes and the looming strike highlight the conflict between capital and labor.

• VI

  Bunny's friends must work menial jobs while he is idle, highlighting the divide between those who work out of necessity and those who play out of privilege.

• VII

  Bunny's discomfort with the idle rich and their frivolous pursuits highlights the divide between labor and capital.

• VIII

  Bunny's discomfort among the wealthy leisure class highlights class divisions and the obliviousness of the rich to broader suffering.

• XII

  The proposed labor college is explicitly aimed at educating young workers for the labor struggle, highlighting class conflict.

• XIII: The Monastery

  Bunny's internal debate over capital versus labor and the difficulties of worker solidarity amid factional infighting.

• I

  Bunny's analysis of capital versus labor and the need for worker solidarity.

• II

  The Menzies family's fruit-picking labor and the Socialist meeting highlight the tensions between workers and capitalists, as well as internal class divisions within the labor movement.

• XIV: The Star

  The chapter details the internal divisions within the labor movement, blacklisting of union activists, and the repression of radicals under the criminal syndicalism act.

• I

  The chapter details the difficulties of organizing a labor college amid union bureaucracy, radical factions, and fear of Bolshevism.

• II

  The chapter details the persecution of union men, the boycott of a labor-friendly business college, and the ideological divisions among workers.

• VII

  The strike of clothing workers and the Menzies family's financial struggles highlight class conflict and labor exploitation.

• VIII

  The clothing workers' strike and police brutality highlight the conflict between labor and capital in Los Angeles.

• XV

  Vee's outburst against the Jewish clothing worker's daughter reveals deep class antagonism and the threat of working-class consciousness to the wealthy.

• XVI

  Rachel frames the conflict in class terms, defending the workers of Russia against world reaction and linking the film to the broader class war.

• XV: The Vacation

  The wage cut announcement and the impending strike highlight the conflict between oil workers and capitalist operators like Vernon Roscoe.

• II

  The chapter contrasts the brutal suppression of striking workers with the opulent distractions of religious revival, highlighting the power imbalance between labor and capital.

• III

  The wage cut and Roscoe's threats highlight the conflict between workers and operators.

• IV

  The impending strike and the power imbalance between oil operators and workers underpin the plot to remove Bunny.

• V

  The chapter contrasts the lavish lifestyle of Bunny and Vee with the strike of ten thousand oil workers, highlighting class conflict.

• VI

  Bunny's interest in the labor movement and the strike contrasts with Vee's frivolous world; his mother gives diamonds for strikers' relief.

• VII

  Paul Watkins and his group are arrested on trumped-up charges of criminal syndicalism to suppress them during a strike, highlighting the conflict between labor and capital.

• VIII

  Paul's arrest is part of the operators' effort to break the strike, highlighting the conflict between labor and capital.

• IX

  The strike and Paul's imprisonment highlight the ongoing labor conflict and Bunny's conflicted role.

• XI

  The resolution of the strike and the Federal Oil Board's letter highlight the tensions between labor and capital.

• I

  The oil workers' betrayal by operators, the open-shop slave-yard, and the jailing of Communist activists highlight the ongoing class conflict.

• II

  Bunny's guilt highlights the class divide between the wealthy oil owners and the exploited workers.

• IV

  The eight political prisoners represent the struggle of oil workers against capitalist oppression and blacklisting.

• IX

  The trial of the Workers' party members and the prosecution's focus on revolutionary rhetoric underscore the ongoing conflict between labor and capital.

• Chapter X

  The contrast between Dad's celebration of the 'killing' and Carberry's dispossession highlights the exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful.

• XVII: The Exposure

  The jailed oil workers represent the fight for labor rights against the 'open shop' business interests.

• I

  The chapter highlights the exploitation of oil workers, the suppression of unions, and the brutal conditions in the county jail.

• III

  Paul argues that workers must organize and seize the means of production to overthrow capitalist exploitation.

• IV

  Bunny's involvement with radical labor movements and the labor college contrasts with his family's oil wealth.

• VII

  Violent suppression of the I.W.W. and radical bookstores by the American Legion reflects class conflict.

• VIII

  The chapter details the internal conflicts within the labor movement and the tactics used by capitalists to disrupt it.

• IX

  The debate between Socialist and Communist approaches to class struggle and the role of the working class.

• Chapter X

  Bunny's plan to become a worker reflects his commitment to understanding and helping the working class.

• V

  Bunny observes the class-consciousness of businessmen who automatically side with Dad, and reads of Paul's arrest as a radical.

• VII

  Bunny immerses himself in the British labor movement and workers' education, highlighting class conflict.

• VIII

  Bunny's engagement with socialist and radical groups contrasts with Dad's contempt for European aristocracy.

• II

  Bunny confronts the stark contrast between free workers in Soviet territories and serfs under landlord aristocracies, emphasizing the global class war.

• IV

  Paul embodies the militant working class and describes the overthrow of exploiters in Russia.

• V

  Paul describes workers' unions, clubs, and a new culture in Soviet industry, while noting that workers bear the cost of capitalist wars.

• XX: The Dedication

  The labor college is designed to train workers for the class struggle; Ruth's class-consciousness and the strikes she witnessed are highlighted.

• V

  The discussion centers on using wealth to build a socialist institution that rejects bourgeois values and promotes labor.

• VI

  The entire discussion centers on training revolutionaries to serve the working class and the nature of the class struggle.

• XXI: The Honeymoon

  The chapter highlights the plight of workers, including the Groartys' legal troubles and the longshoremen's strike and suppression.

• III

  Paul's speech and the longshoremen's strike highlight the conflict between workers and the capitalist state.

• IV

  The chapter highlights the exploitation of workers, with 73 out of 100 men killed or injured, and the contrast between wealthy magnates and struggling families like the Groartys.

• V

  The violent mob raid on the IWW hall exemplifies the brutal suppression of labor activism and the class war.

• XII

  The contrast between the wealthy who can afford expensive liquor and the workingman who can only listen vicariously highlights class divisions.

• XIII

  The working masses' slogans versus the decadent plutocracy.