Who Murdered Joe Magarac?

Abstract

In the paper the creation of the mythical hero of the American steel industry Joe Magarac is analyzed. The analysis is based on the original text of Owen Francis from 1931. and it endeavors to resolve the quandary of whether this text is of a folklore or fakelore nature. The analysis is multi layered and is comprised from a parallel reading of the Francis text and the folklore elements from the migration country; confronting the meaning of the legend of Joe Magarac with authentic interests of workers in the steel industry and contextualizing the legend inside the social conflicts in the steel industry of Pennsylvania at the meeting point of the XIX and XX century.