never the exigencies of competi tion brought down prices" (274). In taking up the cause of the worker, Etienne feels that he is leading an important and noble revolution. In this regard, he visualizes "the workers of the whole world rising up united to guarantee the working man the bread he earns" (144). Echoing the earlier speech of Pluchart, Etienne gives his own speech to the miners in which he denounces the capitalist wage system as "a new form of slavery" (274). He tells them that the workers should own the means of production and thus share in the profits made by them. Furthermore, he tells the miners that it is necessary to destroy the state gov ern ment because it is supported by the capitalist system. Then, "when the people had the government in their own hands, reforms could begin" (275). Unfortunately, Etienne's noble effort is doomed to failure. He is not a good leader because he is prone to violent anger and because he drinks too much. Also, his revolutionary plan fails because it is too idealistic. It does not take into account the power of the
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