Class and Exploitation

Stories like 'The Apostate' and the tale of Bloody Vange depict the brutal conditions of industrial and colonial labor, highlighting the systemic exploitation of workers and slaves by a ruling class that controls wealth, law, and punishment.

Johnny's forced labor at the mill, the threat of being docked, and his mother's sacrifice of her own food illustrate the exploitation of the working class.

The dehumanization of Chinese laborers as interchangeable commodities, exemplified by the authorities' willingness to execute the wrong man.

The chapter vividly depicts the exploitation of slaves in Hell's Bottom, the corruption of overseers, and the systemic injustice of the master-slave hierarchy.