Premium Essay

The Role Of Socialism In Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle'

Submitted By
Words 1430
Pages 6
Piyarat Siripoksup
HIS 17B Paper I
October 23 2014

The rise of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century created many new industries, improved the economy, and made the United States a top destination for immigrants. Consequently, industrialization led to the exploitation of the working class and the rise of the socialism1. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair illustrated the fate of immigrants in Chicago in the meatpacking industry, the harsh realities of life in the city, and the truth about opportunity in America as a result of capitalism. Through vivid imagery, metaphors, and symbolism, Sinclair described the horrors of industrial capitalism through the portrayal of the poor working and living conditions and annihilation of the Rudkus …show more content…
Jurgis came to America from Lithuania as an honest, hardworking man who tried to provide for his family and wished to “rise and become a skilled man”. After some time, his attitude of “I will work harder” started to fade as he realized the bitter truth surrounding the ‘American Dream’ and resorted to leaving his family and a life of crime. This coincided with industry expansion and technology advancement in the early twentieth century and the introduction of mass production and assembly line techniques. Workers were exploited to the fullest and became cogs in the capitalism machine, deskilled and depersonalized through meaningless tasks. Through the metaphor of innocent hogs, Sinclair cleverly described the horrible fate of immigrant workers who “came so very trustingly [...were] human in their protests--and so perfectly within their rights!” Like hogs, workers were treated in this “cold-blooded, impersonal way, without a pretense of apology [or] homage of a tear.”18 The hog or immigrant is presumably innocent and naive, and as a result, became the prey of the capitalist society. This compelling comparison aimed to attack capitalism and values of the Americans and the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

How Did The Progressive Era Affect American Society

...then on getting rid of corruption in government. (Constitutional Rights Foundation) Journalists of this time took advantage of the opportunity to show the American people how corrupt many of the health systems were. In 1902, magazine publishers discovered that their sales increased dramatically when they highlighted popular stories of political corruption, corporate misconduct, or other offenses. (Gilder Lehrman Institute) The novelist Upton Sinclair also played a large role during this new era in the fight...

Words: 1129 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Jungle

...In 1906, Upton Sinclair's Book The Jungle was published in book form; it had previously been published as a newspaper serial in 1905. Few works of literature have changed history in the United States so much as The Jungle did when it was published. Does Sinclair Lewis make a compelling argument for socialism in his book, The Jungle? I think that the answer to this question is going to be dependent on what you end up believing about socialism. A die hard socialist is probably going to point to Sinclair's ending with zeal and passion because it proves that Jurgis could only find a home when renouncing capitalism and its perverse interpretation of the American Dream. I think that Sinclair believed in the socialist ending of his novel. Yet, I want to pivot the question a bit. While the socialist claim might not be persuasive, like Marx himself, Sinclair is probably more eloquent on suggesting that the current capitalist system, the one being written about at the turn of the century, is in desperate need of repair. His persuasion might lie in his critique of capitalism more than his embrace of socialism. “The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, exposed the nauseating conditions of Chicago’s meat packing industry.” (Goldfield, David R. The American Journey: A History of the United States.) He couldn't have been very happy that the book gained fame for a different reason, but nonetheless it did gain a significant amount of fame and get that message of socialism is better than communism...

Words: 731 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

My Papers

...| Capitalism vs. Socialism during the 1920’s | Diamond Jackson | | History II Dr. Hilton | | | Upton Sinclairs’ The Jungle is a common form of muckraking during the 20’s. The book is about a Lithuanian family who relocated to the US in hopes of finding success and building better lives. After hearing the story of how America supports the idea of freedom, and has unlimited opportunity, the main character Jurgis is convinced America was the place to be. Once arriving to America and coming in contact with the reality of the myth of his ideal society, Jurgis exposes the deeply rooted capitalism and the effects and problems that it causes. Because of this, Sinclair feels that socialism is the remedy to the capitalistic conditions he’s now a part of. Andrew Carnegies’ The Gospel of Wealth is a viewpoint of how beneficial capitalism is to American society and economy which is seen through the eyes of a high-class businessperson. Carnegie discusses the history of there being an equal society, the natural law of competition, and the capitalistic results and benefits. Sinclairs’ The Jungle and Carnegies’ The Gospel of Wealth are opposing viewpoints, therefore when it comes to the unequal distribution of wealth and ideas about capitalism and socialism both arguments are supportive and reasonable to a certain extent. In the 1920’s, the unequal distribution of wealth is evident and Americans start to see many cultural changes. America has now adopted the idea of...

Words: 1067 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Comparing Schlosser's Fast Food Nation And The Jungle

...Progressivism was a time period where there was emphasis on improving working conditions, improving the way of life, exposing corruption, and expanding democracy. The excerpts from Fast Food Nation and The Jungle outline the citizens who demanded a change in numerous areas such as business, labor, economy, consumers, and an increase of democracy. The Jungle’s main goal is to allure and impel the audience to endorse socialism. Throughout the excerpt Sinclair makes efforts to discredit the capitalist political system and display how a socialist political system would restore humanity to the abused working class. Schlosser’s main goal was to inform the people about how these major plants have no economic incentive to spend extra money to make the work environment safe. He implies that it should be the role of government to force the plants to set up adequate safety regulations....

Words: 541 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

George

...The Jungle The story begins with the traditional Lithuanian wedding of Jurgis and his sixteen year old bride, Ona. The wedding is one that they can barely afford, and sets the backdrop for the changes that they are just beginning to encounter in their new country. Immigrants with peasant backgrounds had begun to arrive in the United States during the late 1890's from places such as Ireland, Poland, Italy, and Lithuania . These people were ill equipped to deal with the harsh realities of urban living in America at the time. In his book Sinclair shows how capitalism creates pressures that undermine the traditional family life, cultural ties, and moral values that these immigrants had brought with them. With "literally not a month's wages between them and starvation" workingmen are under pressure to abandon their families, woman must sometimes choose between starvation and prostitution. Children are forced to work rather then attend school, just to keep starvation away for one more day. The Socialist Party of America was founded in 1901, and for over a decade after that saw enormous growth, by 1912 they had over 1,200 elected public officials in the country, and during the election of that year had very good election results by their candidate Eugene Debs for President (Dickstein). The growth of the Socialist movement primarily took place in the vast heartland of the United States, as it was undergoing the strains of industrialization. The roots of this movement were based...

Words: 2645 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Mixed Economy

...Mixed Economy A mixed economy is an economic system that incorporates aspects of more than one economic system. This usually means an economy that contains both privately-owned and state-owned enterprises or that combines elements of capitalism and socialism, or a mix of market economy and planned economy characteristics. This system overcomes the disadvantages of both the market and planned economic systems. Features * Resources are owned both by the government as well as private individuals. i.e. co-existence of both public sector and private sector. * Market forces prevail but are closely monitored by the government. Advantages * Producers and consumer have sovereignty to choose what to produce and what to consume but production and consumption of harmful goods and services may be stopped by the government. * Social cost of business activities may be reduced by carrying out cost-benefit analysis by the government. * As compared to Market economy, a mixed economy may have less income inequality due to the role played by the government. * Monopolies may be existing but under close supervision of the government. http://www.dineshbakshi.com What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Mixed Economy? The mixed economy refers to such an economic system wherein two the sector exist and function for achieving national objectives. The two sectors are the public sector and private sector. Both these sectors exist and function for achieving national objectives...

Words: 1830 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Dr.Whitaker and Food

...Introduction In 1906 Congress passed two landmark pieces of legislation: the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. The acts emerged from the reformist ethos of the Progressive Era, a time when the federal government took on a new and much more active role in the everyday lives of ordinary Americans. Of all the laws passed during the Progressive Era, no legislation proved more successful and more enduring than the 1906 food and drug legislation. The acts established the foundations of modern American food and drug law, and gave birth to the Food and Drug Administration. For the first time, the federal government assumed permanent and comprehensive responsibility for the health and safety of the American food and drug supply. Although the statutes have been revised many times since 1906, the essence of modern food and drug law remains consistent with the principles of federal responsibility for consumer safety that underlay the first statutes a century ago. The passage of the 1906 food and drug legislation stemmed from the actions of many people across the political landscape, ranging from Senator Albert Beveridge to socialist writer Upton Sinclair. But no indi- 1 viduals played a larger public role in the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act than Theodore Roosevelt and Harvey Wiley. Roosevelt, as president of the United States, and Wiley, as chief chemist of the Agriculture Department, served as twin driving forces for Congressional...

Words: 11660 - Pages: 47

Premium Essay

Business and Management

...J.B.M. Vol. 17 No. 1 Journal of Business and Management Editors Cristina M. Giannantonio, Ph.D. Amy E. Hurley-Hanson, Ph.D. Published by Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and Economics Sponsored by the Western Decision Sciences Institute WDSI WDSI WESTERN DECISION SCIENCES INSTITUTE The Western Decision Sciences Institute is a regional division of the Decision Sciences Institute. WDSI serves its interdisciplinary academic and business members primarily through the organization of an annual conference and the publication of the Journal of Business and Management. The conference and journal allow academicians and business professionals from all over the world to share information and research with respect to all aspects of education, business, and organizational decisions. PRESIDENT Mahyar Amouzegar California State University, Long Beach PRESIDENT-ELECT Nafisseh Heiat Montana State University-Billings PROGRAM CHAIR/VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROGRAMS/PROCEEDINGS EDITOR John Davies Victoria University of Wellington VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROGRAMS-ELECT Sheldon R. Smith Utah Valley State College VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEMBER SERVICES David Yen Miami University of Ohio SECRETARY/TREASURER Richard L. Jenson Utah State University DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS Abbas Heiat Montana State University - Billings IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT G. Keong Leong University of Nevada, Las Vegas REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Vijay Kannan Utah State University Journal of Business...

Words: 52229 - Pages: 209

Free Essay

Rules for Redicals

...Books by Saul Alinsky John L. Lewis, An Unauthorized Biography Reveille for Radicals The Professional Radical (with Marian Sanders) Rules for Radicals RULES FOR RADICALS A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals SAUL D. ALINSKY RANDOM HOUSE New York Acknowledgments This chapter "Of Means and Ends" was presented in the Auburn Lecture Series at Union Theological Seminary. Some of the other sections of this book were delivered in part in lectures before the Leaders of America series at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California; Yale Political Union, New Haven, Connecticut, April, 1970; The Willis D. Wood Fellowship Lecture, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, May, 1969; American Society of Newspaper Editors, Washington, D.C., 1968; U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.; March, 1968; A.F. of L.-C.I.O. Labor Press Association, Miami, Florida, December, 1967; American Whig-Cliosophic Society, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1967; Centennial Address, Episcopal Theological Seminary, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1968; Harvard Medical Conference, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 Copyright © 1971 by Saul D. Alinsky All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. ISBN: 0-394-44341-1 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 70-117651 ...

Words: 62916 - Pages: 252

Free Essay

Business Student

...JÖNKÖPING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL JÖNKÖPING UNIVERSITY H o w to mo tiv a te a ss emb ly lin e wo rke r s Master Thesis within Business Administration. Subject: Management. Authors: Valdete Jusufi Maja Saitović Supervisor: Karl Erik Gustafsson Jönköping May, 2007. Master Thesis within Business Administration. Subject: Management. Title: Authors: Tutor: Date: Subject terms: How to motivate assembly line workers Valdete Jusufi & Maja Saitović Karl Erik Gustafsson 2007-05-28 assembly line, motivation, industrial laundry business, incentives, Human Performance System Abstract The purpose of our master thesis was to investigate what motivates assembly line workers performing low-skill jobs in a small industrial laundry business. We wanted to see what factors determine and influence their motivation to work and if and how this motivation can be improved with respect to assembly line systems in general. The method of our investigation was qualitative in nature, where we studied one firm that leases clean bed clothes and textiles to hotels and restaurants around Sweden. We constructed a survey on motivation and handed it out to the assembly line workers who deal with the laundry. Furthermore, we interviewed the shift manager in order to get the company’s view on employee motivation. Our findings indicate that there are several overlapping factors that determine and influence motivation in the long run. From this particular case we saw that a unified working culture...

Words: 36580 - Pages: 147

Premium Essay

California an Interpretive History - Rawls, James

...CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA An Interpretive History TENTH EDITION James J. Rawls Instructor of History Diablo Valley College Walton Bean Late Professor of History University of California, Berkeley TM TM CALIFORNIA: AN INTERPRETIVE HISTORY, TENTH EDITION Published by McGraw-Hill, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Previous editions © 2008, 2003, and 1998. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the United States. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1234567890 QFR/QFR 10987654321 ISBN: 978-0-07-340696-1 MHID: 0-07-340696-1 Vice President & Editor-in-Chief: Michael Ryan Vice President EDP/Central Publishing Services: Kimberly Meriwether David Publisher: Christopher Freitag Sponsoring Editor: Matthew Busbridge Executive Marketing Manager: Pamela S. Cooper Editorial Coordinator: Nikki Weissman Project Manager: Erin Melloy Design Coordinator: Margarite Reynolds Cover Designer: Carole Lawson Cover Image: Albert Bierstadt, American (born...

Words: 248535 - Pages: 995