How we cite our quotes: (Page)
Quote #7
"You been talkin' big, but I know you been wettin' your pants the whole time. I admit you can do all the things you say you can, but look what happens after. Your health service burned the tents in Washington. And that was one of the reasons that Hoover lost the labor vote. You called out the guardsmen in 'Frisco, and damn near the whole city went over to the strikers. Y' had to have the cops stop food from comin' in to turn public opinion against the strike." (196)
Now it's Mac's turn to make a show of strength in front of Bolter. While it's true that the Growers' Association has the power to bring in weapons and civil authorities, Mac wants to make it clear that bringing down the big guns on the workers might not be such a clever idea. By showing Bolter that the biggest liability for the Growers might in fact be their firepower, Mac is also implying that he has no problem exploiting the atrocities of the past to win public support for the strike. In this case, Mac is actually bargaining from a position of strength, even though the workers have very little in the way of supplies and clout.
Quote #8
"We understand each other now. We know what to expect from you. And we know how careful you have to be when you use force. Don't forget the thousands of people that are sending us food and money. They'll do other things, if they have to. We been good, Mr. Bolter, but if you start any funny business, we'll show you a riot to remember." (197)
Mac acknowledges another useful tool in the pouch of the strikers: retributive violence. He makes sure that Bolter understands that the workers won't take being trounced lightly, and that when push comes to shove, the Growers will find that the workers are organized and willing to do just about anything to advance their cause.
Quote #9
Jim said softly, "I wanted you to use me. You wouldn't because you got to like me too well." He stood up and walked to a box and sat down on it. "That was wrong. Then I got hurt. And sitting here waiting, I got to know my power. I'm stronger than you, Mac. I'm stronger than anything in the world, because I'm going in a straight line. You and all the rest have to think of women and tobacco and liquor and keeping warm and fed." (215)
This is the part when Jim gets a little bit scary. He's taken over leadership—at least, behind closed doors—and begins to boss London and Mac around. Jim has grown restless while waiting to do his part and hoping that the workers will grow some spine and take matters into their own hands.
He's also had a kind of coming-of-age experience on this journey. When he begins it, he's kind of a mess: sleepwalking his way through life, victimized and hopeless. But now he has purpose—and he's pretty single-minded about it. It's a bit of a mystery how Jim gets to this point, or what motivates him to speak this way. Mac recognizes from this moment on that Jim has actually become something very valuable to the movement, even if it is something that he can't quite understand.