Upton Sinclair mentions "evils of present-day society" and the contradiction that lies within society. He refers to capital as a "democratic administration for the equal benefit of all", which I can sense is sarcastic after reading the novel. I therefore feel that the Sinclair's reason for writing The Jungle was not his disliking towards the concept socialism or capitalism, but the outcome for not facilitating correctly.
Nov 17, 2009
The Impetus for Writing "The Jungle"
Today in class I discussed what I thought could have been Upton Sinclair's motivation for writing The Jungle. Though the article I was assigned to read was about Sinclair's fervor towards socialism, I did not feel that socialism itself was the impetus for the novel. The article discusses all that can go wrong with socialism as there are many intricies that go into developing that form of government. Because it is such a complicated system, much can go wrong, and I feel that these wrongs are what drove Sinclair to write this novel.
Upton Sinclair mentions "evils of present-day society" and the contradiction that lies within society. He refers to capital as a "democratic administration for the equal benefit of all", which I can sense is sarcastic after reading the novel. I therefore feel that the Sinclair's reason for writing The Jungle was not his disliking towards the concept socialism or capitalism, but the outcome for not facilitating correctly.
Upton Sinclair mentions "evils of present-day society" and the contradiction that lies within society. He refers to capital as a "democratic administration for the equal benefit of all", which I can sense is sarcastic after reading the novel. I therefore feel that the Sinclair's reason for writing The Jungle was not his disliking towards the concept socialism or capitalism, but the outcome for not facilitating correctly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Taryn, you have a great point. What came to mind when you said "but the outcome for not facilitating correctly” I immediately thought about how society can be difficult at times. As we read the novel we see many flaws in society. We see malfunctioned meatpacking industry, unemployment, poor health and bad living conditions. I think Upton Sinclair writes this novel, not only to tie socialism or capitalism with it, but to illustrate hardships of their time. As readers in the 21st century, it is sometimes hard for us to imagine what life was like before regulations and welfare. Sinclair forces the reader to engage with the material and experience firsthand what the people in this time went through. We are able to experience this through his graphic descriptions and how he holds nothing back when explaining an event. Through this the audience is able to understand the raw material and we can really reflect on what people went through.
ReplyDeleteI believe that "The Jungle", although perhaps not written primarily to promote a certain political party, does seek to sway its reader in favor of socialism. Though the roots of socialism in America can be traced to the 1850s, the political party began to grow in earnest in the beginning of the 20th century around the time of the publication of Sinclair's novel. Sinclair, who was instrumental in the growth of the socialist party of the time, gives clear critique towards socialism's rival, capitalism.
ReplyDeleteSinclair depicts not only the squalid conditions of Packingtown but also the corruption of the Democrat and Republican parties which in turn, prepares his audience for Jurgis' foray into socialist politics. By showing the transition of Jurgis from an illiterate immigrant who barely spoke English to a enthusiastic participant in the system of government, the audience is given a miniature view into socialism's rise. Although Sinclair does not necessarily portray Socialism as a perfect system, he definitely paints it as a lesser evil, ending his book with a series of chapters that seem quite triumphant in nature in comparison to the rest of the book, despite the beginning of another stint in jail for Jurgis.