Factotum by Charles Bukowski

‘Factotum’ is a novel by Charles Bukowski with the main character Henry Chinaski who is considered to be Bukowski's alter ego. The author of the novel ‘Factotum’ is the excellent writer who has the ability to create a vivid picture of the event in order to describe everything in great detail and to make the reader see the entire picture. Bukowski masterly illustrates Chinaski’s utter degradation and unwillingness to move on.

‘Factotum’ is a novel, which masterly depicts Braverman's theory concerning ‘essential antagonism’ in the worker/boss relationship. Factotum denotes 'a man who performs many jobs'. This word describes the meaning of the novel’s title. The title of the novel is an old word that means a person who is bus with various activities, jobs. Factotum has come from the Latin and denotes ‘to do everything’. Consequently, we can conclude that Chinaski’s work is not purposive. He changes jobs all the time. He can be compared with an ape that can perform some tasks if it is taught to.

It is necessary to stress that work as purposive action, guided by the intelligence, is the special product of humankind. But humankind is itself the special product of this form of labor. Marx wrote: By thus acting on the external world and changing it, he at the same time changes his own nature. Engels pointed out that the hand is not only the organ of labor, it is also the product of labor.’

In the novel Henry Chinaski receives and loses many jobs. His long way via various jobs is mixed with alcohol drinks, women and sex relationships, as well as with writer’s witty remarks and description of Chinaski’s depression. Labor is the activity that transforms the humankind and develops a person. Therefore, the major character of the novel is able to perform many functions or jobs and he uses his ability and changes his jobs too often. Henry Chinaski does not have the aim in the life – he simply lives and writes and drinks.

In the novel, Henry Chinaski considers himself to be a good writer. Little by little he sometimes writes. However, mostly he finds the opportunity to drink alcohol and to communicate with women who seduce the writer instead of inspiring him to write great book. It should be pointed out that Henry Chinaski is in constant antagonism with jobs and the life in general. He is forced to work in order to earn for a living and this is the only reason he is working:

At first we find Henry Chinaski at splintering huge blocks of ice with a jack hammer. His employer comes and asks him to be a driver as he wants Chinaski to work as mich as possible. Henry Chinaski always follows his employers’ orders but he does not want to do much work. After all, the major character enters the first beer bar having left the truck open. His employer finds him in the bar and fires him. Henry Chinaski have had many jobs: he was driving taxi, selling spare parts for a bicycle, boxing brake shoes, sweeping out a newspaper office, dusting off a giant statue, and so on. However, he does not perform his work well and loses every job he gets. Henry Chinaski wanders from one city to another, changing jobs all the time. He just gets fired from all of them for drinking and not performing his work in a proper way. Chinaski’s relationship with his bosses is essentially antagonistic as his employer wants to get as much work done as possible while Henry Chinaski tries to do as little as possible to not be fired.

Summarizing, ‘Factotum’ confirms Braverman's theory about antagonistic relationships between the worker and the boss. ‘Factotum’ iis a true story of a man who continues dragging out a miserable existence. Chinaski is a writer who risks his life trying many jobs and other activities in order to find poetry and sense in two opposite extremes of feeling the life – joy and sadness.