In the short story "The Buddies" by James T. Farrell, Jack and Smitty feel the sorrow of powerlessness as laborers of the Continental Express Company. They plan to organize a club for company employees to strengthen ties among employees and pursue mutual interests such as protection of laborers from potential tyranny of the company (22). However, their plan ends in failure.
Through the story, readers discover that laborers such as Jack and Smitty are not sufficiently respected and cannot achieve equal rights: "The Buddies was quite different from the union. It belonged to the men. They knew that the union was not theirs. It was a racket for Joey Murtry, the ex-teameo" (23). These few sentences imply that laborers of the company are under the tyranny of a corrupted hierarchical society and a corporate leviathan. Contrary to the powerful large company and management, the laborers such as Jack and Smitty are just powerless employees, who cannot have their voices heard in society.
Furthermore, under the control of tyrannical employers, the laborers always feel the sorrow of the powerless. Ultimately, their own union named "The Buddies" is disbanded and two weeks later after the dissolution of the union, Smitty and Jack are ambushed by Joe Murtry, a very arrogant guy who flatters his bosses, and his four gangster cronies.
The author of the story, James T. Farrell, demonstrates the apparent irrationalities of society by showing the struggles that powerless laborers have to undergo in the corrupted society and their sorrows at the last scene. Even though the laborers receive unfair treatment, they have to suffer injustice in order not to be fired and keep their positions. "There were no complaints. The vote was taken. Jack and Smitty had kept their mouths closed and had not attended the meeting" (24). If Jack and Smitty were powerful employers, they would not have experienced the pains and felt the sorrows of those at the very bottom.
In the story, the laborers' sorrow of powerlessness results from corrupted hierarchical society and the tyranny of the company. Establishing their own union "The Buddies" was the laborers' way of protecting their rights by fighting against the despotism of the company and its leadership. However, it is very difficult for their human rights to be protected because of the tyranny of the majority. Finally, their plan ends in failure and they again feel the sorrow of powerlessness.
Through the story, readers discover that laborers such as Jack and Smitty are not sufficiently respected and cannot achieve equal rights: "The Buddies was quite different from the union. It belonged to the men. They knew that the union was not theirs. It was a racket for Joey Murtry, the ex-teameo" (23). These few sentences imply that laborers of the company are under the tyranny of a corrupted hierarchical society and a corporate leviathan. Contrary to the powerful large company and management, the laborers such as Jack and Smitty are just powerless employees, who cannot have their voices heard in society.
Furthermore, under the control of tyrannical employers, the laborers always feel the sorrow of the powerless. Ultimately, their own union named "The Buddies" is disbanded and two weeks later after the dissolution of the union, Smitty and Jack are ambushed by Joe Murtry, a very arrogant guy who flatters his bosses, and his four gangster cronies.
The author of the story, James T. Farrell, demonstrates the apparent irrationalities of society by showing the struggles that powerless laborers have to undergo in the corrupted society and their sorrows at the last scene. Even though the laborers receive unfair treatment, they have to suffer injustice in order not to be fired and keep their positions. "There were no complaints. The vote was taken. Jack and Smitty had kept their mouths closed and had not attended the meeting" (24). If Jack and Smitty were powerful employers, they would not have experienced the pains and felt the sorrows of those at the very bottom.
In the story, the laborers' sorrow of powerlessness results from corrupted hierarchical society and the tyranny of the company. Establishing their own union "The Buddies" was the laborers' way of protecting their rights by fighting against the despotism of the company and its leadership. However, it is very difficult for their human rights to be protected because of the tyranny of the majority. Finally, their plan ends in failure and they again feel the sorrow of powerlessness.