Abstract In this paper, the author argues that Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" has been largely misunderstood for the last one hundred years. Rather than attacking the meat packing industry, Sinclair's ultimate purpose in writing "The Jungle" was to highlight the atrocious conditions that capitalism produced for uneducated workers, especially immigrants. In this, Sinclair sincerely hoped to persuade his readers to convert to socialism and overthrow the wage tyranny of all capitalist industries, not just the meatpacking industry. The paper also considers the historical impact of Sinclair's work, namely the founding of the Food and Drug Administration.
From the Paper "Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is an excellent work of fiction. It capably explains the living and working conditions that most European immigrants had to endure upon coming to American in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sinclair used The Jungle to discuss not only the deplorable way of life that immigrants faced in America, but also to support his belief that socialism was the superior political ideology of the day. Here, the author will discuss the perceived purpose of The Jungle--namely to attack the meatpacking industry--and then demonstrate how this was only a glancing concern of Sinclair's when he wrote the novel. Sinclair's ultimate purpose, even if it was unsuccessful, was to highlight the atrocious conditions that capitalism produces for uneducated workers, especially immigrants. In this, Sinclair sincerely hoped to persuade his readers to convert to socialism and overthrow the wage tyranny of all capitalist industries, not just the meatpacking industry. For the last one hundred years, Sinclair's purpose in writing The Jungle has been largely misunderstood and misinterpreted."
Tags: socialism, The Jungle, Upton, Sinclaire, working, conditions, labor, immigrants, wages, FDA
Abstract This paper uses Elizabeth Ammons' "Expanding the Canon of American Realism" to examine why Stephen Crane's "Maggie" and Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" should both be included in the education curricula. The paper suggests that the inclusion of these two works will help teach a multicultural point of view.
From the Paper "In "Expanding the Canon of American Realism", Elizabeth Ammons argues that the canon of American realism needs to reflect its social context of multiculturalism. The canon of realism is defined by teachers who choose what texts they want to teach about, therefore the canon has been composed of works that are considered highly teachable. In that respect, it is subjective and can just as easily be changed according to one teacher's idea of teachability as another's. Elizabeth Ammons takes the..."
Tags: Elizabeth Ammons, Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, Stephen Crane, Maggie, realism, multicultural, Expanding the Canon of American Realism
Abstract This paper reviews and analyzes C. S. Lewis' book, "Miracles". The paper contends that, although highly readable for a text of its kind, "Miracles" is not an easy or facile read. Rather, it poses many questions that are difficult to reason through even when following Lewis' reasoning process. The paper also maintains that, because this book is based on unfinished research and because it lays the pathway for following historical proofs rather than arguing them, it does not always present any clear conclusions.
From the Paper "C. S. Lewis was a prolific Christian writer. He is perhaps best known for his series of books included in "The Chronicles of Narnia". His reach extends far beyond that of those books, however. The book "Miracles" is a good demonstration of why his work is so popular, even many years after his death. Although the book is a deep discussion of many philosophical ideas, it remains highly readable for someone who enjoys such topics. Lewis does not use what has now become the traditional warm and fuzzy "feel good" method of discussion that so many books use today. Instead, his work uses logical arguments to explain his perspective on the topic of miraculous works."
Abstract In this paper, Lewis offers a personal account of the cutthroat world of Wall Street, as seen through his own personal experiences. In this manner, the reality of interpersonal relationships in his professional life often result in the author delving deeper into the belly of the money hungry beast within the Salomon Brothers firm. Although he does seem to represent a confessional approach in his narrative, Lewis often makes claims as to how Wall Street operates without the benefit of quantitative analysis in regards to how financial institutions really operate.
From the Paper "The central aim of "Liar's Poker" by Michael Lewis is to present the reality of the Wall Street and the wanton greed associated with trading. There are many books that I have read about Wall Street that provide instructional or "self help" approaches to becoming a successful business person in this type of environment, but Lewis's perspective teaches the most about the realities of trading life. By having used his own personal experience to reflect the business environment he had to survive on a daily basis, the cruelty and passive aggressive behaviors of his "gentleman" business associates often resulted in nightmarish greed and excessive monetary squandering."
Abstract A narrative of the expedition across the United States performed by Lewis and Clark including politics at the time, Jefferson's influence and goals and successes of the "Voyage of Discovery". A description is also given of geographic characteristics, Sacajawea and the Indian nations. Spanish claims in the West and explored and short and long term results of expedition defined.
From the Paper "Thomas Jefferson won approval for and then began planning an expedition to the west to explore new uncharted lands. He went to his friend Meriwether Lewis and Lewis? friend William Clark to lead this new twenty five hundred dollar, later adding up to over thirty-eight thousand dollars, expedition. Although the well-known reason for this dangerous, unknown expedition was to see if the land was livable for the large American population which was condensed mostly within fifty miles of the Atlantic Ocean, that barely scratches the surface of what Jefferson had in mind for this long trip. Not only did he want to know if the land would support his taxpaying citizens, but he wanted to know about the numbers and military capabilities of Spanish and French peoples in the areas. Furthermore, he wished to have expanded knowledge of the Indians and their trade, and to ally with these Indians in an attempt to establish trade and create a profit. Lewis and Clark headed off into the unknown with limitless credit and limitless expectations of what they would find and report to home. The underlying question was what would this expedition do for the expansion of American settlers into the frontier and their safety once there."
Tags: clark, expansion, expedition, jefferson, lewis, meriwether, william
Abstract This paper states that SinclairLewis was an American author who became famous and controversial because of his novels and his satirical style of writing which criticizes the popular American culture during the 1920s to 1930s. The paper then provides an overview on who SinclairLewis was and why he became famous for his writings. The paper also discusses critics' remarks about the works of SinclairLewis as well as opinions as to why SinclairLewis' works are still relevant today.
Outline:
Introduction
Short Biography
SinclairLewis's Main Street
Lewis's Rise to Fame
Relevance of SinclairLewis' Main Street
Conclusion
From the Paper "Main Street sold around 200,000 copies with a few months of its publication and released. It sold around two million copies in the United States alone in 1951. While novels before dared not, Main Street was the first novel by an American to become successful by using criticisms on American popular culture. The publication was timely because Main Street was published during the time when American culture was being questioned, World War I had just ended and women were declared legally equal to men."
Abstract This paper presents, from the novel "Babbitt" by SinclairLewis, the character of George Babbitt, the author's image of the middle-American businessman who is constantly struggling with his identity in society. The paper states that this image is based on the developing consumer culture of the era; Babbitt seeks to buy all the goods possible and to display them as trophies in his home in order to show the world that he is a success. The author believes that, in truth, Babbitt never achieves the happiness and satisfaction he desires and instead is constantly disappointed in the things he buys to make himself happy.
From the Paper "Babbitt does indeed belong to such organizations, and to any other club or organization that he sees as giving him a position in the community. A position is not only valued for what it says about how Babbitt belongs, but also for the business value it confers. Business brings Babbitt money, of course, but it also places him at a certain position in the company of men. He identifies with Ted through business dealings in which they act together, for instance. The world outside the home is always more important to Babbitt than the world of his family, though he sees each as a reflection of himself and proof that he is a success."
Abstract This paper examines SinclairLewis's novel, "Babbitt", which, through the life of George Babbitt, provides a vision of American life during the 1920s. The author contends that the cause for Babbitt's depression is not his disappointment with the aims and morals of 1920s society, but with his suppression of the homosexual attraction he feels for Paul Reisling. This paper, through a series of explications, studies the relationship between George Babbitt and Paul Reisling, such as the camping trip and, in Chicago, when Babbitt sees he sees Paul making love to a woman.
From the Paper "In Zenith, it is imperative for a man to be seen as a Man, and a woman to be seen as a Woman. There is no room for ambiguity. Babbitt spends his time making sure that he measures up. His main arena for manliness is the office. He describes a business deal between himself, Conrad Lyte and Archibald Purdy (45). At the conclusion of the deal, one where both Babbitt and Lyte profit, George admits it was necessary to ?bully Lyte into buying.? Purdy signs the agreement after Babbitt warns of possible ruination due to outside competition, a warning Purdy construes as "threatening" Having closed the deal, Babbitt sits back and ponders his "manly battle" but quickly becomes depressed. He cheers himself by thinking about the impending camping trip with his friend, Paul Riesling."
From the Paper "Lewis presents a grim and cynical view of life in Babbitt. The reader learns that "the Good Citizen's League had spread through the country" (391). Just as Babbitt's rebellion had been crushed, the growing Good Citizen's League is crushing similar rebellions. Babbitt again defines the archetype of the conformist businessman. Though Babbitt remains an integral part of the corrupted, business-dominated Zenith society, he is cognizant of its flaws. However, Babbitt's conscious sacrifice of his individuality and thought render him a defeated person. Babbitt realizes he lacks the strength and courage to challenge society; however, Babbitt finds hope in his son. Babbitt agrees that "the Babbitt men"ought to stick together? (400), and encourages his son to pursue happiness, rather than money and a professional career."
An analysis of "The Jungle" written by Upton Sinclair. It shows how, with this book, Sinclair exposes corruption of the times and earns the title of a leading social critic.
Abstract This paper analyzes Sinclair's hidden goal behind the themes presented, which is a push for socialism as a universal cure. The paper includes a short summary of "The Jungle," explains who Sinclair was and what he represented, why Sinclair's novel is remembered, and intricately analyzes the real theme of the novel which is to expose the evils of capitalism while promoting socialism.
From the Paper "The Jungle, regarded at times as propaganda rather than literature, is written by Upton Sinclair, one of the most controversial writers of the Progressive Era. Sinclair was a "muckraker" or a journalist who wrote exposes in attempts to alert the general public of the deception and dishonesty then existent in the United States. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1878, Sinclair composed both essays and fiction on topics such as the coal and oil industry, newspapers, the liquor business, the persecution of radicals and the threat of dictatorship. Although he wrote many pieces to expose corruption, he experienced his first real accomplishment with the printing of The Jungle in 1906, which established him as a leading social critic."
Abstract This paper discusses "Upton Sinclair's" scathing social commentary novel, "The Jungle", and how it triggered a nationwide storm of indignation and conservative criticism. The paper explains that Sinclair's intention had been to emulate Harriet Beecher Stowe's condemnation of human slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin by condemning the injustice inflicted upon millions of meat packinghouse workers, whom he considered to be little more than wage slaves of the Beef Trust and its powerful supporters in the federal government. Ironically, many readers missed the entire thematic point of Sinclair's novel, for instead of being outraged by the political and economic establishments' criminal abuse of working Americans, they found Sinclair's graphic descriptions of what was added to the meat to be much more pertinent and interesting.
Abstract This paper discusses "The Jungle," by Upton Sinclair, and its exposure of the treatment of immigrant workers in Chicago's meatpacking plants. The writer provides Sinclair's sources for the novel and a synopsis of its story, and explains its purpose in showing the grim reality of immigrant life and the seamy side of the American Dream. The book aroused considerable furor not only because of its shocking realism, but also because Sinclair's solution for his hero, Jurgis, is to have him turn to socialism. The paper concludes that even though the book "shocked" the nation, and there were threats of lawsuits by meatpackers in Chicago, the basis of the book is to try to find a solution for the social and economic ills of immigrants.
From the Paper "What makes The Jungle remarkable is not merely the expose of the conditions at the Chicago stockyards but a depiction of immigrants during the end of the Nineteenth and beginning of the Twentieth Centuries. No longer were these middle class professionals or farmers or entrepreneurs or those with a pioneer spirit. These now were poor, often illiterate workingmen and their families who, in effect, became whites replacing slaves following the Civil War. The Rudkuses were merely a symbol of the fate that befell so many who sought to escape poverty and oppression in Europe, only to find themselves chained to jobs and in slums instead of finding streets paved with gold. America The Beautiful was something Jurgis and Ona Rudkus could never enjoy."
Abstract A review of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle". The author describes Sinclair's account of the misery, pain and poverty of working class Lithuanian immigrants who came to the United States in the late 1890s and analyzes the theme of class inequality and to what extent it has changed today.
From the Paper "Sinclair shows how during that period, the gap was wide between the working class and the few rich. Although the only rich character in the story is introduced very briefly, the striking contrast of his lifestyle is sufficient to paint a very grim picture. Even without that contrast, however, Sinclair's description of the life of the poor working class is very powerful. Starving and cold children, women digging their way through snow to get to work, children eating scraps found in dumpsters, man who are so driven at work they have to eat their food mixed with blood from the butchered animals -- all these are images that show the pain and the misery of the working class."
This paper discusses Sinclair's portrait of industrial capitalism, especially the meatpacking industry and European immigrants, in his novel "The Jungle".
Abstract This paper explains that Upton Sinclair wrote his expose of the meatpacking industry, "The Jungle", partly as a way of demonstrating the rapacious and inhuman nature of capitalism when it was not curtailed by some government controls regarding worker and consumer safety and partly to demonstrate to the consumers of meat products themselves the dangers posed to their health when they ate such tainted foods. The author points out that the metaphors of meat in this book provided Sinclair with many potent metaphors for human life under capitalism.The paper relates that "The Jungle" is not simply a literary text but also a book that changed the world because it led to the implementation of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 and created more human conditions for workers.
From the Paper "The production of food and meat does not have to be like it is depicted in "The Jungle", however, in the author's view. Sinclair was no vegetarian. Sinclair focused on European immigrants in his work, partly as a reflection of the reality that such immigrants were usually chosen first and foremost for the low wages that accompanied the horrific task of working in the meatpacking plants. But these immigrants also represented a tie with an earlier and more wholesome relationship with the land. Despite their desperation working in the factories, the European immigrants of Sinclair could remember a time, from their childhood in other nations, where food production was health and agriculturally focused, rather than something that was done purely for profit, without concern for worker's health."
