Sinclair was good at analysing and interpreting social and economic situations. He would share his political views with his readers through his writing. For his insight on the meat packing industry in the Jungle, he personally infiltrated the world of meat to fully understand the treatment of meat packers. In the story, the main character and his wife must undergo the hardships and mistreatment that come with working in a world of exploitative employers.
Not only did they endure trials of inhumane treatment in the work place, but they were also in constant strain with the hard life that came with living in the immigrant meat packing district of Chicago. When faced with pregnancy, the couple had to hustle even harder than they had ever imagined. The couple was constantly loosing employment and realized the impossibility of finding new jobs. The main character eventually loses his wife to child birth, experiences agony to the bounds of which he is driven to alcoholism, disconnects from his family, and finally delves into a life of thievery and begging.
The author exposed the realities of poor sanitary conditions and low wages in the meat packing industry during his time. His intention for such straight forward realism and shocking reality was to help sway the American public to generate new standards for improving the treatment of workers and the conditions of their work places.
Well said, I like the way you summarized it. This story was very interesting to me. I had talked about it with my nutrition class in high school, but never read the story. It's gruesome and possibly a bit exaggerated to get Sinclair's point across. Although it would be hard for me to fathom someone making those scenarios up completely. I'm certain those were true conditions that needed to be publicized in order to help change our health regulations no matter how far it makes your stomach turn. I also find it very interesting that journalist went undercover in those times to find out the real dirty truth and actually lived it themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that there were/are people like Scully who are so greedy and get rich from literally poisoning his workers and fellow Americans. It's hard to believe that people would willingly work in those conditions, I mean there must have been more optimal jobs. Even shoveling coal or installing railways all day would have been better than having nubs for thumbs.
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ReplyDeleteVery well said, It's a very informative and intense story. When i first read this i couldn't retain the distress i felt for the workers and the dissopointment in Scully. I was especially suprised at how long this situation had been going on until finally somebody decided to take action. I'm glad this story has brought awarness to the injust situtations that were going on at the time.
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