Thomas Bell's novel, Out of this Furnace, examines factory workers in the late 19th century. It was during this time that many Europeans traveled to America in search of a better life. Hoping to one day return home rich, these unskilled laborers worked long hours in dirty and dangerous factories for pitiful wages that barely paid enough for housing and food. One of those prospects that Bell puts into perspective is Djuro Kracha. In the novel, Kracha arrives in America with nothing and works hard for many years in a steel mill. After a while, Kracha becomes a successful entrepreneur of a butcher's shop. However, following a series of events, he loses everything: his wife, his business, his land, his house and his children. Why did these things happen? He brought about the fall because of his inability to resist temptation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Kracha is a hard-working man. One of the underlying themes of Out of this Furnace is that hard work is supposed to be rewarded. Unfortunately, in the late 1800s, it wasn't enough to work to succeed. Fortunately, Kracha is also a smart man. He sees an opportunity to start a business and runs away with it. However, from the beginning we can see that Kracha has two weaknesses. His first is Zuska Mihula, a dark and mysterious woman from whom he cannot take his eyes away. Later, the reader understands how much he truly loves her when he talks with his old friend Dubik. I would have given every penny I had for half an hour alone with her (13). Kracha spent all his money on alcohol to celebrate Zuska's birthday. This explains why Kracha had to walk to White Haven from New York. He used alcohol to force her to have sex with him, but she would not give in to his desires. Later in the novel, she also causes him trouble, but this time it is his ruin. He is having a secret affair with her, and naturally everyone finds out. When this news is discovered, Kracha loses all its customers. In desperation, Kracha turns to his second weakness: alcohol. Alcohol occupies a considerable place in Kracha's life. He abuses this in different ways throughout the book. In one case, he capitalizes on the human addiction to alcohol to get a job. He offers the Irishman a drink as a bribe for a job. The Irishman replies: “I never refuse a drink. Then Dubik and Kracha laughed heartily at this admission of human weakness (29). In another case, Mike Dobrejcak is absent because of Bryan's presidential loss. To comfort him, Kracha thinks that alcohol will cheer him up and says: Now come on, I'll buy you a drink. The world has not yet ended (67). It seems that alcohol can cure everything. When his world collapses around him, Kracha begins drinking regularly (90) in his self-pity. Eventually, he begins to beat his second wife, Zuska. However, he was unable to remember everything that happened during that memorable summer, perhaps because during the busiest two months [in the butcher's shop] he was continually drunk (107). Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayAt the beginning of his fall, Kracha could not resist Zuska. This caused him to lose his business. Ultimately, he couldn't resist alcohol in his self-pity. An immigrant who did not know English at..