Upton Sinclair on Realism

On the more political side of realism is Upton Sinclair. Sinclair uses his writing abilities to give a voice to the average person by bringing attention to “the evils of capitalism and its effects on the major components of American life” (Werlock). One of Sinclair’s most prominent works, The Jungle (1906), exposes the harsh and disgusting working conditions surrounding the Chicago meat-packing industry that is forced upon the lower-class citizens. To gain research for The Jungle, Sinclair spends seven weeks in a Chicago’s Packingtown in order to observe the lives of its workers, therefore, all accounts mentioned in the book are based upon instances in which Sinclair witnesses first-hand. The effects these working conditions have on Americans is shocking: wage-slavery led to individuals having multiple jobs, many women are forced into prostitution, and children quit school to work and help support their families. The decadence due to injustice witnessed by Sinclair serves as inspiration for the book. "The worst of which was the ignorance of the victims themselves. With the exception of a very small minority, they had no idea that they had the right to a better way of life. It was moral, spiritual and physical degradation, a 'jungle' in which humans lived barely above the level of animals." (Pap and Karolides).

Some of the nauseating details The Jungle exposes include shoveling dead rats into sausage-grinding machines, how diseased cows are slaughtered for beef, and instances that a person would fall into a tank and be ground along with the meat. This sends Americans into an uproar. Even President Theodore Roosevelt is sickened by the horrific details and pushes to establish the Food and Drug Administration which is still in effect today. Although The Jungle changed the course of the meat-packing industry, this is not Upton Sinclair’s initial mission, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." (Werlock).


Works Cited
1. Werlock, Abby H. P., ed. "Sinclair, Upton." Facts On File Companion to the American Novel. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CANov0818&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 1, 2009).
2. Pap, Laurie and Nicholas J. Karolides. "The Jungle." In Karolides, Nicholas J. Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BBP0111&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 1, 2009).

Image Citation: "Sinclair, Upton." Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division. George Grantham Bain Collection. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CANov0818&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 1, 2009).