The Jungle
What societal reforms did the novel, The Jungle, purpose? What governmental reforms did the novel call for? Do you think The Jungle was effective in bringing about societal and governmental reform?
The Jungle, a largely informative, eye-opening novel written by Upton Sinclair, tells the horrible truths about life in Chicago and America in general in the early twentieth century. Sinclair wrote this famous piece with the hopes of educating the public on the struggles faced by the average American, along with the many societal and governmental reforms that needed to be put into effect. The pages overflowed with realities everyone had to cope with, many of which are very heartbreaking and disturbing. Though there were numerous upsetting issues, many of them could have been avoided with the proper societal and governmental reforms put in place. Throughout the novel, society is looked upon as a sort of monstrous association. One of the most talked about issues is the workforce. The working conditions in companies were atrocious; there were risks of disease, ailments, and even death running high at everyone’s workplace. People worked themselves to death trying to make a living! Laborers weren’t paid a lot either. They risked their lives every day for maybe $1.50 pay. The very low wages put a lot of stress on families, where we see one example of how the workforces take away from families. Another example of this is when Ona gave birth. She had to return to her job the day after giving birth to Antanas, leaving her with no time to be a mother. There was definitely a need for a societal reform in this area. Companies needed to have compassion for their workers and realize how hard they are working. Sinclair made it very clear that a raise in wages and a decrease in risks at the workplace needed to be put in place for the welfare of the employees. The flaws in the idea of the American Dream were shown throughout the novel as well. Society basically
The Jungle, a largely informative, eye-opening novel written by Upton Sinclair, tells the horrible truths about life in Chicago and America in general in the early twentieth century. Sinclair wrote this famous piece with the hopes of educating the public on the struggles faced by the average American, along with the many societal and governmental reforms that needed to be put into effect. The pages overflowed with realities everyone had to cope with, many of which are very heartbreaking and disturbing. Though there were numerous upsetting issues, many of them could have been avoided with the proper societal and governmental reforms put in place. Throughout the novel, society is looked upon as a sort of monstrous association. One of the most talked about issues is the workforce. The working conditions in companies were atrocious; there were risks of disease, ailments, and even death running high at everyone’s workplace. People worked themselves to death trying to make a living! Laborers weren’t paid a lot either. They risked their lives every day for maybe $1.50 pay. The very low wages put a lot of stress on families, where we see one example of how the workforces take away from families. Another example of this is when Ona gave birth. She had to return to her job the day after giving birth to Antanas, leaving her with no time to be a mother. There was definitely a need for a societal reform in this area. Companies needed to have compassion for their workers and realize how hard they are working. Sinclair made it very clear that a raise in wages and a decrease in risks at the workplace needed to be put in place for the welfare of the employees. The flaws in the idea of the American Dream were shown throughout the novel as well. Society basically