Analysis of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - Book Report/Review Example

 “The Jungle”– a Review To what does the title of the book refer? The title of the book refers to the “social jungle” in large. It is largely a representation of the nature of life led by the immigrants in America in the early 20th century. Darwinism in a social setting is represented in the book showing the “survival of the fittest”. The most likely to stay alive and thrive in this social order are the strongest ones. The weaker ones fall prey to the stronger ones, remain far below in the social rung with all the distinct possibilities of getting perished in the fight for survival. Though strongest and therefore the “fittest” for survival they are not the best specimens of human mankind and form the worst scum of society. Thus Sinclair has given the title “The Jungle” to show the lawlessness and corruption that existed here. It was the “law of the jungle” that prevailed in the story setting, with the stronger lot preying on the weaker ones and a constant brutal battle for survival was ever present. What is the main point(s) of the book? Why did the author write it? Did the author achieve his objective? The main point in the book is that capitalism is the root cause of all poverty and corruption. In the entire book Sinclair makes use of all events to explain the evil side of capitalism. According to him capitalism is brutal in nature and destroys human kind. In the story we find that the Jurgis's family is completely destroyed in the hands of a social and economic system that runs on the lines of capitalism. The working class, with dreams of better lives, falls prey to this corrupt system and they are brutally used and destroyed. Sinclair tries to emphasize the fact that the story is not only of Jurgis and his family but reflects the pathos of the entire working class society. The whole story proves only one point and that is the evils side of capitalism. It does not explore capitalism as a theory and only dwells on the ugly face of it which is portrayed in the form of selling diseased and poisoned meat in the market to the destruction of its own children. According to Sinclair, the only way to escape this sordid tale of torture, abuse and destruction is through the path of socialism. This is seen when Jurgis gets acquainted with socialist politics in chapter 28 and finds shelter in it. Sinclair, around the turn of the 20th century, was introduced to the socialism and was heavily influenced by it. When asked by a weekly magazine to expose the dreadful working conditions in the Chicago meat packing industry, he readily took this opportunity and recorded his experiences to produce “the Jungle”. Though exposing the wretched and unsafe conditions of meat handling, his main aim had been to convince his readers of the benefits of socialism and convert them to it. After his book was published there was a public outrage against the entire meat packing industry and the Congress in 1906 passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. However, Sinclair wanted the government to check on the condition of the workers, instead, they only checked on the horrible conditions in which the meat were packed. His strong views on socialism were also completely disregarded and his desire to spread the message of anti capitalism was also thwarted. Thus, the author's true objective of spreading far and wide the socialist views were a complete failure, though some good came out of the whole thing in the form of the Meat Inspection Act. When was the book written? Is that relevant in this case? The book was written in 1906. Though written in the early 20th century this book is relevant even today. The book remains as a historical and social record that showcases the hapless conditions of the working class during those times and also portrays the American capitalism psychology of that era. Never before had a book created such a storm and though it did not yield the results the author had hoped for, nevertheless it bought about a revolutionary change in the world of the meat packaging industry. One has to read this book to appreciate the changes that have taken place because of it. What do you know about the life of the author that would have led him to write The Jungle? Sinclair belonged to an aristocratic, impoverished southern family from Maryland who had lost everything in the civil war. He had to support himself in his school and college years by writing novels and pulp fiction. Some three years after his graduation he was introduced to the world of socialism and became very influenced by it. It became a turning point in his life and changed his outlook. He became eager to do something that would spread his newly acquired socialist values, that is, he wanted to put his impetus into action. At this time he was sent for an assignment by the socialist weekly magazine “Appeal to Reason” to the Chicago meat packing industries to expose the corruption and malpractices that existed there. He worked in one of the plants and noticed the corruption, the illegal activities that were rampant and the unsafe way of handling meat which he recorded and later published in the form of the book “The Jungle”. Sinclair used this book to convey his message as to the evil effects of capitalism and how it corrupts, exploits and destroys the poor and weaker sections of the working class. Sinclair wanted to show that the only route to escape this death trap was by taking refuge in socialism and tried to convert his readers to the ideals of socialist theories. How well does The Jungle reflect political, urban, business and immigrant life in America in the early twentieth century? Do you think it is an accurate reflection? Why or why not? “The Jungle” reflects the political, urban, business and immigrant life in America quite well, as the author had worked in the meat packing industry under-cover and recorded everything in detail to be made public later. He had witnessed all the illegal dealings that were rampant and the hazardous conditions under which the workers were forced to labor. The extremely unhygienic and unsafe methods of food handling were also given in graphic details which were later proven to be correct by the investigations conducted by the then president of America, Theodore Roosevelt. In fact the investigators after visiting the factories had remarked the conditions of meat handling to be far worse than actually portrayed in the book. However Sinclair's only fault was that the entire book was colored with ideals of socialism. Even though the hero, Jurgis, resorts to evil ways and does wrong, it is always because of capitalism. In order to promote socialism Sinclair always found fault with capitalism which is not always correct. What were the problems immigrants faced at the turn of the twentieth century? Are those problems still evident? How or how not is that the case? That is, what has changed or not changed in the last hundred years for immigrants? During the early 20th century there was a large influx of immigrants especially from the east European countries who were lured by the great American Dream which claimed to make them rich though hard work. They came in hordes and worked in factories with low wages referred to as “cheap Labor”. Their working conditions were extremely bad and often dangerous. Being illegal they could not complain and were thus forced to work under these conditions, without proper homes to stay in. Their illegal status was also completely misused by factory owners who made them do work which all Americans refused to do and also paid them poorly. Though the working conditions have remarkably improved through the times, the problems faced by immigrants are still there. The immigration laws are stricter thus making illegal immigrants face the same dilemma as before. They get paid less than the average Americans and are in constant fear of being deported. They do not report being harassed and abused, as the fear of getting caught looms large. Legal immigrants are in a better position than before and they are almost at par with any other American citizen under the present scenario. What does the book say about socialism versus capitalism? What are Sinclair’s greatest criticisms of capitalism? Do you find Sinclair’s points valid? Why or why not? (Consider this in both the context of the past and the present). The entire book is a criticism of capitalism. It portrays capitalism as brutal, violent and corrupt. On the other hand socialism is a refuge for all tortured people. For the well being of a handful, capitalism kills many, while according to Sinclair, socialism works for the benefit of everyone. He even suggested that only a socialist state could fulfill the moral values of a Christian. Sinclair, by this book, tried to illustrate the benefits of having a socialist state. A socialist political state unlike a capitalist one, according to Sinclair, works for the benefit of the poor, abused and the downtrodden that have no voice to protest. Sinclair, wherever possible, in the book criticizes capitalism. He greatly criticizes the unbearable conditions of the working classes and blames it on the capitalist system. Every single injustice and corruption lies at the door of the capitalist state force. The poor immigrants, who come with the American dream in their eyes, fall prey to this brutal, violent system and they are used and destroyed in the whole process. This is the greatest criticism that Sinclair makes of capitalism, that it uses, abuses and ultimately destroys poor people. This is not valid, according to me, as I feel that socialism too has its own drawbacks and capitalism is not always evil. Socialism, if so good and beneficial, would not have disappeared from most parts of the world in the present scenario, to be replaced by capitalism. If things were so bad for immigrants, why didn’t socialism spread more in America in the early twentieth century? Socialism did not spread in America of the violent methods that these socialists often took to protest. The strikes called by the socialist leaders often led to death and disharmony, resulting in public distrust of their motives and finally rejection of this system. The militia which treated the strikers as anarchists also took action against them. Socialists also met strong opposition from the political classes and during the World War they were persecuted and their voices stilled by law. Immigrants, which had been a major cause for the rise of socialism, were also disliked by Americans, as they took over jobs which should have been theirs, under normal circumstances. Also immigration from socialist countries, like the east European states, was almost stopped with the help of strong laws. The working conditions of the labor force also improved and with that the socialist leaders also lost their importance. All these factors acting together stopped socialism from spreading in America. What did you like most and least about the book? What I liked most in the book is the details in which Sinclair describes the conditions in which the workers were forced to work. Since he had worked under such conditions the descriptions given were for real. It is an eye opener, as to how harsh the conditions were for the poor working class and how the situation has improved if one considers the modern times. What I did not like about this book is the fact that Sinclair blames capitalism for almost everything that is evil in the story What was the most important and/or interesting thing(s) you learned from reading the book? The most important thing which comes out from reading the book is the harsh working condition of the labor class and the extremely unsafe and unhygienic conditions in which the meat packing industry operated during those times. It is almost unthinkable at the present day and if this book was not written it would be unbelievable too. It is also interesting to note what dramatic changes the book had brought about to America in the early 20th century. Are there any other comments you would like to make that were not addressed above? The book has made use of many symbolisms and motifs to show the plight of the poor working class which I find to be very interesting. The condition of the animals, cans of rotting meat and the name of the book itself, all seem to symbolize something which I find worth mentioning. References Sinclair, Upton. “The Jungle”. Plain Label Books. 1906. Read More