Question

What Problems does Upton Sinclair associate with industrialization and what solutions does he appear to offer this through the jungle?

Answer 1

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, which was first serialized in a socialist newspaper, became an improbable best seller. Sinclair wrote this sentimental novel exposing the ruthless exploitation of workers in the United States in order to make a plea for socialism. Readers, however, were primarily shocked at the description of unsanitary conditions in the Chicago meatpacking plants. Sinclair's book did not bring socialism to this country, but it did influence legislation that allowed for government inspection of food supply and created the Food and Drug Administration. Sinclair famously said, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach."Sinclair depicts an innocent, hardworking Lithuanian immigrant family that cannot get ahead because the system is stacked against them. They have no protections: no minimum wage, no sick leave, and no unemployment insurance. When they try to buy a house, they have no defense against an unfair contract that they do not.