In “The Newsies”, the main characters are Francis Sullivan (a.k.a. Jack Kelly) and his unlikely friend David. Jack’s father is a convict and his mother is dead, but he tells others that they are out West looking for a ranch and are going to send for him when they find one. Although he knows that this is not true, he still dreams of catching a train out West to Santa Fe. Railroads are vital to the realization of Jack’s dream, as it is his transportation out West. Jack believes in the equal opportunity rights that make our nation great. David is a member of a struggling, but loving family and he has a valuable education. He is working as a Newsie while his Dad is out of work. David’s father had an accident at a factory and became useless to his employer, thus he was fired. The factories of the time provided virtually no opportunity for advancement due to the fact that everyone generally does the same thing over and over, which is why the factory was so quick to fire Mayer. Since he had no workers union to protect him, he was forced to live with only the income David and his younger brother Les could bring in. David’s mindset that you can achieve anything you work towards if you believe in and do it with passion directly correlates with the American dream.
In the 1900’s, catchy headlines were essential to selling newspapers; especially headlines with words like maniac, corpse, love nest, or nude in the title. During this time when a trolley strike was in full effect, good headlines were hard to come by, so the newsies decided to improve the truth a little by exaggerating uninteresting headlines and making them seem like interesting stories. The newsies bought the “papes” that they sold and got to keep the profit from what they sold, so a 10-cent price increase was almost crippling. Because the was not a Newsies Workers Union, it was imperative for all of the newsies to come together if there was going to be an effective strike. The owner of “The World”, Mr. Pulitzer, exemplifies the corrupt businessmen of the time. He was a man that judged his quality of life by the size of his wallet. It came quite easy to him to up the paper price to the “distribution apparatus” 10 cents. He also uses his money and political power to influence those around him. He influences the mayor to stop the strike by baiting him with a conversation about the upcoming election with a few others as wealthy as himself. Pulitzer also tries to bribe Jack with everything he’s been dreaming of: money, freedom, and a trip out West. He knew that if he cut of the strike at the head, the rest would follow.
In America during this time, both immigrants and children were treated poorly. This is demonstrated in the movie when the police violently stop the convention using their force. Children along with immigrants were often given poor working conditions. Also, a shot was seen of men being beaten because they would not join the trolley strike. Obviously at this time land and money were more valuable during this time of industrialization than human life.
At the conclusion of the movie, Jack’s dream is realized, but not in the form of Santa Fe. All of his effort is rewarded when (with a little help from others) the prices are brought back down. He realized that just because you don’t have family doesn’t mean no one cares about you. Moreover, in the American “happily ever after” style, he falls in love with David’s sister Sarah (as if a kiss is any sign of true love, right Ms. K?). David’s dream of winning as the underdog is also realized, and all of his hard work is rewarded.
Without suffering through these growing pains, America would not be what it is today. Jack and David’s dream that anyone can be anything if they work hard enough and believe in it has almost become a right as an American. Though greed is still evident and corrupt politicians are as prevalent as ever, it is not a trademark of our society anymore, and for that I am thankful. In conclusion, it was the immigrants that came to America so they could become something that gave the nation a big part of its character today. Their sacrifices have become our blessings.
