In Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the 20th Century (1974) by Harry Braverman, he addresses the controversial theme of work and labor power. He also analyzes the degradation of work, also shown in the proletarian novel Factotum (1975) by Charles Bukowski. Alongside these concepts, Braverman develops the boss/worker antagonism, which is directly linked to Bukowski's depiction of the compilation of such degrading jobs. Braverman's most important point is the notion of alienated labor in which the boss has complete control over the workers for the better. result. We see boss/worker antagonism in these situations. This aspect is shown in Factotum in every job held by Chinaski. For example, while he was breaking huge blocks of ice with a hammer, his boss asked him to be the driver so he could get the most out of him. Although Chinaski listens to his boss's every order, he somehow manages to do something wrong; for this reason, he always ends up getting fired. He does as little work as possible. He is not working to the best of his abilities. He does not do his work completely and with full interest, that is why he can never stick to one job. When he realizes that he desperately needs money, he decides to get serious about finding another job. For example, when his parents forced him to pay for his room, food, and laundry, he was forced to work because he was broke. In Factotum, the subjective state of the worker is made explicit through Chinaski's daily activities. He leads a very unconventional life. He has no purpose in life. The only thing that motivates him to work is when he has absolutely nowhere to stay or especially when he can't afford a drink. Nothing really bothers him or makes him happy. His addict...... middle of paper...... them "all afternoon and half the next morning to nail the shelves" (138). After all, he was the boss and they had no choice but to obey his orders. It is alienated labor in which the boss exercises complete control over the workplace and extracts as much work as possible from the workers. This scenario supports absolute exploitation as the worker had to work long and arduous hours in poor working conditions. The boss requires hard work to get a decent profit and eventually prospers. Not only does this scenario represent absolute exploitation, but also degrading work. In this example, we clearly see the antagonistic boss/worker relationship. To conclude, Braverman and Bukowski share similar beliefs regarding capitalism. Braverman's beliefs are all confirmed in Factotum. Chinaski's professional experiences verify and support Braverman's theories.