The Absolute at Large · Question
How does The Absolute at Large develop the theme of Industrial Capitalism and Labor?
Answer
The Absolute at Large by Karel Čapek develops Industrial Capitalism and Labor across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The Karburator disrupts traditional labor and capitalism, making workers redundant and factories uncontrollable, while the Absolute's 'divine communism' forces a reevaluation of ownership, value, and work.
Bondy's reflections on the M.E.C.'s vast holdings and the economic crisis highlight the pressures of industrial capitalism.
The invention is framed as a solution to industrial inefficiency, with Bondy's business instincts clashing with Marek's visionary zeal, highlighting tensions between capital and innovation.
Bondy immediately focuses on mass-producing Karburators for profit, treating the Absolute as a manageable commodity.
Evidence in the book
- I: The Advertisement
Bondy's reflections on the M.E.C.'s vast holdings and the economic crisis highlight the pressures of industrial capitalism.
- II: The Karburator
The invention is framed as a solution to industrial inefficiency, with Bondy's business instincts clashing with Marek's visionary zeal, highlighting tensions between capital and innovation.
- IV: God in the Cellar
Bondy immediately focuses on mass-producing Karburators for profit, treating the Absolute as a manageable commodity.
- VI: The Board-Meeting
The board meeting revolves around production, investment, and control of the Karburator factory.
- VII: Developments
The board's religious fervor leads to proposals to hand over establishments to workers, while the manager dismisses it as 'religious Bolshevism,' highlighting tensions between capital and labor.
- IX: The Ceremony
The ceremony showcases the alliance between industrialists (Bondy), the state, and the military, while workers are heard cursing behind the scenes.
- XI: The First Blow Struck
The Karburator is a product of industrial engineering, and its theft and repurposing highlight tensions between labor, ownership, and the new economy.
- XIII: The Chronicler’s Apology
The mass production of Karburators by Ford and Stinnes illustrates the scale of industrial capitalism and its global reach.
