A horrific fire occurred at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911. A museum provides displays about the fire and organized labor’s early attempts to achieve their goals. The displays stated that unions were not successful in their efforts to obtain their goals. It was hinted that other factors in society led to union successes.
Go to the Kheel Center for Labor-Management at Cornell University: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/ Look at the reproductions of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911. The most impactful sections for me was when I clicked on “Read the story of the fire” – “Victims & Witnesses,” and “Explore a model of the 9th floor.” Spend time perusing the website and reading the various sections. Attach to this assignment 3-4 paragraphs (150 WORDS MINIMUM) as to what you believe to be the “other factors” that helped unions become successful. Use Times New Roman 12-point font, double spaced, 1″ margins. Include your name, BA108 – Assignment 1, and the date on the top of the first page (you do not need a separate title page).
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Other Factors that Contributed to Union Success
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 was a devastating event that claimed the lives of 146 workers. As I explored the website of the Kheel Center for Labor-Management at Cornell University, I gained a deeper understanding of the tragic incident and its implications for the labor movement. While the museum displays suggested that unions were not entirely successful in achieving their goals, they also hinted at other factors in society that contributed to their eventual triumphs.
One crucial factor that played a significant role in union success was the growing public awareness of the deplorable working conditions faced by factory workers. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire exposed the dangerous and exploitative practices prevalent in many industries at the time. The tragedy captured the attention of the public and ignited a sense of outrage, leading to increased support for labor reforms. The subsequent investigations and media coverage shed light on the need for stronger worker protections and encouraged broader support for unionization.
Another factor that helped unions gain momentum was the rise of progressive political movements and the passage of labor-friendly legislation. The early 20th century was marked by a wave of progressive reforms aimed at addressing societal inequalities and improving working conditions. The establishment of labor laws, such as the creation of minimum wage standards and regulations on working hours and safety, provided a legal framework that empowered workers and strengthened the bargaining power of unions. These legislative changes created a more favorable environment for unions to organize and negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Furthermore, the formation of alliances between different labor organizations and social movements also contributed to union success. By recognizing common goals and joining forces with other groups advocating for social justice, unions were able to amplify their demands and gain wider support. This strategic collaboration enabled unions to build stronger coalitions and exert more pressure on employers and policymakers, increasing their chances of achieving meaningful change.
In conclusion, while the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire highlighted the dire conditions workers faced, it also served as a catalyst for change. The subsequent public awareness, legislative reforms, and collaborative efforts between labor organizations and social movements all played pivotal roles in the eventual success of unions. By addressing not only the immediate concerns of workers but also broader societal issues, unions were able to secure significant improvements in working conditions and workers’ rights.
