Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle (1906) gives an in depth look at the lives of the immigrant workers here in America. In fact the look was so in depth that the Pure Food and Drug Act was created as a result. Many people tend to focus purely on the unsanitary conditions instead of the hardships faced by the workers. Actually I think that Sinclair doesn't want the focus on the meatpacking, but on overcoming obstacles, especially through Socialism. Sinclair was himself very outspoken when it came to Socialism.
The story takes place in Chicago with a group of immigrants. They have come to the United States only to discover that it is a cruel, harsh world, and the land of shattered dreams. The group first goes through many difficult trials and tribulations. The first big problem faced by the group is a marriage, which costs a great deal of money. The second ordeal is a very tragic death. After these one couple buys a house that is sold to them for three times its value. The parents and other groups then move into the house. One of the characters goes into the meat p
The Jungle had a great deal to do about socialism. Upton disliked Communism and Capitalism a great deal and thought that Socialism was the answer. Sinclair was brought up in Baltimore and his family was considerably poor. His father was very unsuccessful at hi job and it is believed that for this reason Sinclair became a Socialist because in communist countries all people are treated equal. This book made me think of the book Animal Farm written by George Orwell. I read this book in middle school and we had to do extensive research on Socialism, Capitalism and Communism. The two books are actually opposites. Orweel's book points out the bad side of Socialism with the rules ending up all animals are created equal, some more equal than others. Sinclair tries to show the good in Socialism through the fact that it helped the character become the manager.
Sinclair showed a lot about the strength of the human spirit. His character overcame so many obstacles. They overcame numerous financial difficulties such as the house, the wedding, and being out of work. The even overcame death which is one
All papers and essays are for research and reference purposes only!
Copyright 2002-2009
Direct Essays , LLC. All Rights Reserved. DMCA Webmasters make $$$$