Throughout American history, people that have challenged themselves with a cause have had at least some control of major issues present during their lives. Upton Sinclair was one of these influential people. Using his talent for writing, Sinclair wrote his most successful novel, The Jungle. This novel stressed a need to improve conditions for industrial workers, and exposed the faults of Capitalism in order to promote his cause; which was Socialism. Sinclair achieved his goal of promoting Socialism with the story of Jurgis Ruckus and his family. By describing the harsh system in which workers were consumed by, Sinclair uncovered faults in Capitalism, and inversely promoted Socialism.
In Sinclair’s story, he vividly described the family and the disagreeable situation they were in. The accounts of the meatpacking industry, developed mainly on truth from personal experience, were filled with examples of an unjust work system, corruption by employers, and the resulting low living conditions. For example, Packing town laborers would be forced to work repeatedly faster, only to see their wages cut numerous times. Also, families became impoverished, causing the children to work. As a result, Elzbieta’s son, Stanislovas, was eaten alive by rats.
Such major problems in the Capitalist system were focused on throughout the novel. The problems in the meatpacking industry related to issues concerning the entire industrial labor force. Sinclair continued to show that these problems could have been solved by Socialism. The fact that Jurgis joined the Socialist Party and was dedicated to improving his surroundings was how Sinclair displayed the fact that Socialism was a more practical system. Although many people thought Sinclair was aiming his muckraking at the meat packing industry, he was actually focused on a much larger issue. After other people backed up Sinclair’s claims, many changes were made to the food industry.
The Term Paper on Major Theme Sinclair Socialism People
There are a million people, men and women and children, who share the curse of the wage-slave; who toil every hour they can stand and see, for just enough to keep them alive; who are condemned till the end of their days to monotony and weariness, to hunger and misery, to heat and cold, dirt and disease, to ignorance and drunkenness and vice! And then turn them over to me, and gaze upon the other ...
Also, his main goal of promoting Socialism was achieved as the Socialist party grew. Apparently, Sinclair managed to “kill two birds with one stone.”.
