How we cite our quotes: (Page)
Quote #10
"Now the papers say we're just causing trouble. But we're getting the stiffs used to working together; getting bigger and bigger bunches working together all the time, see? It doesn't make a difference if we lose. Here's nearly a thousand men who've learned how to strike. When we get a whole slough of men working together, maybe—maybe Torgas Valley, most of it, won't be owned by three men." (222)
Mac tells London that he's pretty sure the strike will be lost. But he doesn't want London to despair or to lose a potential new Party member. Even in defeat, the men will have gained the valuable experience of working together toward a shared goal. Yeah, it doesn't seem to us that they've actually learned that lesson in Torgas Valley. But Mac clings to this idea as something that usually happens in a strike situation. And while the three bigwigs of the Valley may not suffer as much as Mac would like, it's possible that the workers are now organized enough to stick up for themselves when they move on to the next venue.