Mac In John Steinbeck's 'In Dubious Battle'

Throughout the novel In Dubious Battle, the character Mac uses different tactics in order to reach his goal. In some cases these tactics can be inspiring; in others it can be sickening. However, under the circumstances Mac is facing, it is understandable for him to do anything he can do in order to win this fight. There are many examples of Mac using what he has to the fullest, but I have selected two which I think reflect the conflict over his morals. In one case, it is very repulsive, in another, it is almost motivational.
The first case I would like to reflect on is the instance where Mac lies to London about knowing how to deliver a child. Mac used this opportunity given to him to form a good bond with London, who he had just learned was the leader of the …show more content…
Joy, one of my more favorite characters, was shot after getting off a train. Directly after this Mac, requested that they keep the body to use as a symbol to keep the strikers together and motivated. Now, I would not have any problem with this necessarily, but the way Mac treated Joy directly after seeing him die was a little repulsive. What right does Mac have to represent what Joy believed? This same situation occurred when Jim died. Mac was a little shaken, but then he took Jim’s body in front of the crowd and started one of his speeches. I think Mac has a lot of feelings, which is shown towards the end of the novel. He was conflicted after beating up the high school kid, he “walked to the matress and sat down and clutched his knees. All over his body the muscles shuddered” (214).. However, he has learned very well to push these emotions down so that others do not see his pain. From this, we can see that Mac isn’t necessarily a bad guy, and really did like Joy and Jim. Although, I think it’s safe to say that he could have been a little more empathetic to them immediately after their