Upton Sinclair’s landmark novel The Jungle proved that the written word of a single individual can change society. Granted, he had much grander ambitions than only taking down the meat-packing industry, but at least it wasn’t for nothing. The first third of the novel is a frightening, detailed description of the malpractice used in certain industrial sectors prior to World War 1. The next third is an adult adventure: a harrowing, downward spiral that an immigrant faces as a result of constantly being swindled by greedy manipulators. The final third is the light at the end of the tunnel, that somewhere in this immigrant’s near future, union power and socialism may emerge as an unstoppable political force, creating a utopia in which greed and other agents of misery become obsolete.
Sinclair was a young man when he wrote this, and his idealism shines with a fanatical energy that may have inspired many laborers to action in the early 1900s. In fact, many of the rights that laborers take for granted today are brutally retraced in Sinclair’s pre-modern composition. Frankly, I’m surprised the book wasn’t banned in more places, because the last few chapters have some of the most radical, passionate discourses against capitalism that can be found in literature. There are many great chapters in here, but Chapter 28- the one with the speech- really stood out for me. The Jungle is essential reading for those interested in political theory and economic reform.
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