147 Dead Nobody Guilty Analysis

The article “147 Dead, Nobody Guilty” published by The Literary Digest magazine explores the tragic accident which happened in the factory of the Triangle Waist Company in 1911. The Asch building appeared to be on fire, while the workers were trapped inside. As a result of the accident, 147 persons, mostly women and girls, were killed by a fire. The owners of the Triangle Waist Company, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, who went on trial for manslaughter were not found guilty of the tragedy. Considering the fact that this accident was not the only case of murder in the industry, the press opposed the injustice of the jury’s verdict (“147 Dead, Nobody Guilty”). Since the event was open to the public, the Triangle accident and the following media coverage have challenged gender roles in the society and influenced the women’s movement. Unlike many other industrial accidents, the Triangle Fire has attracted a lot of attention due to the publicity of the event. The fire covering the most of the Asch building along with the police and firefighters sirens has drawn a large crowd observing the scene. Many of the people present were the families trying to identify the victims. In the aftermath, people could still observe the consequences of the fire, as the dead bodies and the workers’ belonging surrounded the building. Finally, many papers and magazines have covered the accident by publishing the shocking accounts of the fire (Argersinger 20-21). Therefore, the media coverage has played an important role in the further influence of the event. The multiple reports of the Triangle Fire demonstrate the influence of gender on the media coverage. …show more content…
The majority of the reports portray women’s actions as helpless and ineffectual. For example, the Chicago Sunday Tribune describes every woman's attempt to escape the burning building as a dramatic, heartbreaking failure, which makes them look as weak and defenseless creatures (Argersinger 76-79). The Rosey Safran’s account of the women’s frantic fear and confusion, along with their tragic inability to save themselves emphasizes the fragility and feebleness of a female even more (Argersinger 85-86). The media uses such emotional and moving language to induce a stronger response from the reader, and thus gain more attention. The way journalists portray the fire victims largely contrasts the views on the women garment strikers. As a result of the formation of the women’s movement in the labor war, which happened prior to the Triangle accident, the media has started perceiving women as independent, strong-minded citizens committed to fighting for justice. Allan Benson’s account refers to the strikers’ determination, as he states that “no man ever gave a greater exhibition of dogged determination to preserve to the end than did these girls” (Argersinger 65). The writer William Mailly talks about the influence the strike will make in the industrial and political life of America (Argersinger 70). Such portrayal is significantly different from the one of the Triangle factory victims. After the accident, previously strong and resolute women were associated with grief and sorrow. The media coverage has challenged the traditional gender roles in the society and impacted the development of the women’s movement. Multiple cases of gender injustice and inequality described in newspapers and magazines have influenced the women’s demand for change. The inequity