Essay on Matewan and Norma Rae - 922 Words

Matewan and Norma Rae Theoretically, the characters of both Matewan, and Norma Rae take part in a capitalistic society. In both situations the people are partaking in a form of labor market, where they are selling their time and energy. However, the town of Matewan, governed by the Stone Mountain Coal Companies monopoly on the land and businesses, and isolated by distance and limited technology, as fallen into a feudalistic condition. Despite the fact that Norma Raes small hometown of Alabama bears a great resemblance to the town of Matewan, their economic situation remains a form of capitalism. Though the Henely Mill is a dominating force in the small town, with a strong financial hold over the citizens, it is not as dictatorial of†¦show more content†¦When new miners arrive in the town of Matewan, they are automatically in debt to the company store for the equipment need to begin working. Throughout the life of the coal miners they are at the mercy of the companys scams and whims. Coal mining i s a dangerous operation; not only by chance of mishap, but the coal miners are in great risk of ill health due to the inhalation of coal dust, and the physical strain of working such a laborious trade. The coal company is insensible to the health concerns of the miners; individuals are irrelevant to the industrial company, and they are secure on the knowledge that a fresh supply of young, healthy, able-bodied workers will fall into their grasp. The Stone Mountain Coal Companys monopoly over the resources of Matewan is compounded by the towns isolation. Matewan, nestled west of the Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia, is not readily accessible to the outside world; nor is the rest of the world accessible to the citizens of Matewan. The town is separated not only by physical distance, but also by a lack of technology. In 1920 travel was still time-consuming, and the people of Matewan are unable to easily communicate with the rest of the world. The inability to commute, and socialize withShow MoreRelated Norma Rae Essay1517 Words   |  7 PagesNorma Rae In the film Norma Rae, the textile workers were unsatisfied with many aspects of their Capitalistic work environment. They fought to form a union so that they could change the undesirable characteristics to better meet their needs. Political, environmental and cultural processes all played a part in the workers struggle to form an effective union. Unlike the film, Matewan, in which the coal miners worked under feudal control, the employees of the O.P. HenleyRead MoreEssay on Feudalism and Capitalism3836 Words   |  16 Pagestheory or set of theories (which can be contradictory), to teach particular theories (including economic theories), and to provide an objective for analysis using economic theory. (Professor Gabriel) It is with this in mind that the films of Matewan and Norma Rae are of importance to us when analyzing the concepts of feudalism and capitalism, because they are films that contain in them examples from these two types of economic systems. While the concept of unions is prevalent in both films, the