The Jungle Socialism

United States is a country of immigrants and reconstruction. For many years Americans worked very hard to improve the country’s image and to gain superiority among neighbor countries within the years. “The Jungle”, wrote by the American journalist Upton Sinclair tells the story of a poor family that immigrated to the city of Chicago in order to improve their financial economy. However, due to life conditions and lack of money their chances of surviving during the Industrial Revolution became minimum. Eric Foner’s narrative “Give me Liberty” relates US history during the Reconstruction period and its affects in the government, social classes structures, and economy. There are some comparisons amid both narratives where low income individuals
struggle in order to survive.
The Second Industrial Revolution is one of the comparisons that between The Jungle and Give Me Liberty. Jurgis and Ona, the protagonists of The Jungle, are a clear example of the cruel world that people during 1870-1914 lived in. They among with their families decided to move to the city of Chicago in order to improve their economy and give their kids the life they deserve. However, Chicago was not what they have expected. Long shift hours, unemployment, and poverty became their reality. The same that occurred to families that migrated from different places outside the US. Eric Foner, stablished on this book that “millions of workers lost their jobs or were forced to accept reductions of pay” (482). Due to the large amount of men’s and women’s migration, factories opted to hire more employees in order to finalize things early paying them half of the regular wage. People at this time become miserable; some loss their families, others got an addiction, or killed themselves because were not able to deal with their debts. Therefore, individuals at this time had to accept any job in order to survive and provide for their families.
Similarly, Politics in the Gilded Age is a scene that can be seen in the novel; as well as the history notebook.
The personages from The Jungle expended most of their wages paying debts and house insurances. Socialism was the economy system that ruled at that time where only wealthy individuals and industry owners. Those had total control over the low class people (immigrants) and abused their superiority. For example, in The Jungle Ona confesses that her boss Phil Connor continually harassed her and pleaded with her to become his mistress. However, when Jurgis wanted to made justice with his own hands, nobody believed him and was send to jail. Likewise, when they bought the house they had to pay a lot of taxes and insurance that they could not afford. Many of these individual became poor; while the rich richer. Political corruption was the main problem during this period of time “full freedom could exist in a situation of extreme economy equality” (Foner 502). The unequal distribution of wealth among the social classes were the responsible for the poverty and progress of the country. Henry George idea of single tax was one of the ways to fix the variation between groups; even though high class integrants did not like the idea about equality for everyone. The contradiction and self-indulgence of individuals was the reason for corruption and deficit of the country that contributed the eager of
workers.
Freedom in the Gilded Age was another factor that related Sinclair and Forner narratives. The Jungle clearly shows the reader that the characters went from worse to worse exposing their lives in conditions that took them lives. They become responsible for their own fate where children, women, and older people had to work in order to contribute their families. This period can be seen in favor for the high social classes because they had enough money to do whatever they wanted to do “living on the edge of poverty alongside a growing class of millionaires became very difficult” (Foner 499). Life become easier for those with a fantastic economy; moreover, those literally fighting to survive one more day had to be thankful for one more day of job. Freedom in The Gilded Age can be seen from two different aspects where for the low social class freedom was more about decions taking; while for the rich was on how getting richer and how to expend their money.
Likewise, both narratives share similar ideas about Labor and Republic.
Sinclair exposes their personages as miserable individuals that need a hero in order so resolve all their problems. They made to hear their voices thought strikes and caravans in order to be treated human workers with rights. Foner, describes in chapter 15 the movements that the congress is trying to apply in order to benefic many of the workers. Also, the equalization of power and wealth among groups and the benefits that each of those should receive with the time. Furthermore, Foner elaborates each of these points that in one way or another benefited the workers “alleviate poverty, combat child labor, and encourage better working class housing” (505). The walkout of workers and boycott in different places were the main reason for the congress to take actions on worker’s petitions and excluding monopoly from the country. This can be appreciated as a scene of courage and tiredness from all the workers that finally let their voices heard and able to see results that made their lives easier and safety. In conclusion, Eric Forner and Upton Sinclair share significant ideas about the struggle that workers during 1870’s had to deal with in order to survive. Some of the similar key points find in both narratives are Labor and Republic, freedom in the Gilded Age, The Gilded Age, and the Second Industrial Revolution. Both authors give the reader a familiar conflict that is killing the poor one by one due to the
lack of money and food. Also, share the corruption in politics and the inequality among social classes that made the low income group miserable, that thanks to their revolution change was starting to come slowly.