Matewan
Matewan, a historical drama, describes the events that transpired in 1920 at a coalfield in Matewan, Mingo County, West Virginia. John Sayles wittily recounts what triggered the Matewan massacre, leading to the naming of the small town as Bloody Mingo. Stone Mountain Coal Company was a powerful company that literally owned everything in Matewan, even the workers. In act of oppression, the company reduced the wages paid to the workers while at time, hiked the prices at the supply and grocery that it owned. While the company is lowering the wages given to the miners, it is at the same time bring in more workers. The company used the miners as cat’s-paws. Unable to bear it any longer, the miners go on a strike to the chagrin of the company owners who retaliate with excessive power and the local community.
Before the end of the long runtime of the drama, 130 minutes, there are several themes addressed by the various scenes. One of the themes is racial discrimination. Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper), who is organizing the union, is aboard the train together with other black miners who are taken there to neutralize the strike. On their way, the black miners who don’t know what is happening, are physically assaulted by the strikers. It is not until after Joe intervenes does the assault end.
The second theme is labor unions. Joe, an organizer of the union convinces the strikers attacking the black workers that they could befriend both them and the Italians instead of chasing them away and be powerful enough to defeat the oppressive company. This strategy proves successful as not only is the segregation defeated, but also the Italian and black immigrants join the strike.
The third theme is fighting the system. In the drama, feudalism is depicted. The Stone Mountain Coal Company possesses whatever is in the town of Matewan. The feudal company owners ensures that the miners cannot for an other company by practicing a witty yet oppressive monopolization. The fresh miners are informed that the company will cater for their needs: caps, powder, their tools and also sharpening them, their train fare, and their fuses. The remaining payment is little. The company ensures that the miners depend entirely on it for basics of survival such as food and clothing. The workers were fighting feudalism and in its stead, usher in capitalism. They wanted to have the freedom to purchase items in the places of choice rather than the company scrip. The aforementioned, and the company forcing the miners to live in the company houses and exclusively buy items from it reflected an organized labor.
Another theme is martyrdom. During the early stages of the drama, it shows Joe bound on a train to Matewan before the black train passengers who he is traveling with are harassed. Joe convinces the strikers that instead of turning the blacks away they could befriend them and together with the Italians overcome the powerful company (John, 1987). Joe Kenehan has a belief on a way of winning the cause that they were fighting for without necessarily resorting to violence. However when he is killed during the Matewan’s main street gunfight, he becomes a martyr like the biblical Jesus Christ. This, is capped with the fact that there was one person, C. E. Lively, who behaved as if he was a real striking miner while in real sense he was spying— this also forms the sixth theme, betrayal. The scenes portraying these two themes reflect a biblical allusion.
The next theme is social injustice. First, the local community, the natives of the land where the coalfield was located, had the land snatched away from them. This is reflected by the native person who when is asked in a mockery by the Baldwins whether his rifle was got from the Spanish-American battle, his replied the agent that it was a war between the States. Also, this is depicted by the timely and brevity of the land’s native people in coming to save Joe from Hickey and Griggs, the Baldwins agents, when Joe was alone in confronting them as they harassed the women and children in the tent. Social injustice is again seen when the miners are forced to leave the company homes and end up constructing tents in the hills.
Lastly, is the theme of cultural differences. The white miners initially look the blacks and the Italian suspiciously. Also, they view the natives of the land where the coalfield is located as different. This is also reflected by the difference music played among the various groups, their eating behaviors, and interaction. However, though, as the drama nears the end, they set their differences aside and partake meals together and play music together.
Dead men tell no tales, as the adage aptly puts it. Therefore, the events that actually happened in the period depicted in the drama may not be described as exactly as they happened. However, the drama offers a remarkable recollection and provides an outline of the real tragedy. Above all, the drama offers one great lesson that a company may be powerful than its employees, however, united, the employees are more powerful than it.
Reference
Sayles, J. (Director). (1987). Matewan [drama]. USA.
