Corruption Of The West Essay Research Paper

Corruption Of The West Essay, Research Paper

Fifty years ago America was in mortal fear. Russia had the bomb and we were pretty confident in their want to use it. This was all the result of the struggle between the greedy Capitalist pigs and the idealistic Socialist swine. What many don t know is that this struggle is not just new to the past fifty years, it can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century, where it seemed, at least on the surface, as a wonderful time to be living in Capitalist America. This period, in memory, seems to optimize the modern man living the American dream. But memories can be deceiving. In the early 1900 s our Capitalist economy seemed to be the precedent for success, but as Upton Sinclair would go on to illustrate in his classic novel The Jungle, the pitfalls of the Capitalist society and the Capitalist means, far out way the eventual ends.

During this period in American history, we as a country had seen the end of our American dream. We saw its flaw during the civil war, in the difference of one races right to be treated equally. We saw its flaw in the massive increase of immigration and immigrant poverty, when we realized that no matter how self sufficient and individually successful we as a country were, our contact with the other nations of the world would always destroy our dream for happiness. Thousands were coming to this global melting pot, some seeking fortune, others just seeking easier times, but all seeking a better life. What they found on the other hand were brutal industrial towns and the cruel realization that not everyone in America is successful, but they were stuck here regardless and hardened and soon stripped of any hope of this dream ever coming true.

Immigrants had always heard stories of former friends or family going to America and getting rich. Upton Sinclair uses the story of Jurgis Rudkus and Ona Lukoszaite leaving Lithuania to be successful in the land of promise. Jonas, Ona s step-uncle, supposedly knows someone in America from Lithuania who had gone there and gotten rich. Knowing only this little bit of possibility, Jonas convinces Ona and the rest to travel to America to do the same. Thus the saga begins. Idealistic and hopeful the ragtag bunch make their way to America and almost instantly are slapped by the hand of the Capitalists they are coming among. They were cheated by the travel agent assisting them in their journey to this generous land, and then ripped off upon their arrival by the hotel owner while trying to find a place to spend their first night in this land of plenty. These first two instances set the atmosphere for the book, illustrating how time and time again these pitiful, na ve souls would be taken advantage of, yet, for the longest time they remain resilient, refusing to allow some mishaps destroy their hopes and dreams. But they realize that though the family was not well to do in Lithuania, they were able to feed themselves and even save some money. The constant worrying about money and survival in Packingtown is torture, wearing them down mentally and physically and changing their personalities.

Packingtown, the heart of the Chicago meat industry, exemplifies the evils of the Capitalist Company in the early 1900 s. The description of the horrid working environment indicates Sinclair s opinion of what the companies thought of their employees. Describing the killing floors, Sinclair says This floor was half an inch deep with blood, in spite of the best efforts of men who kept shoveling it through holes (Sinclair 39). Along with working in unhealthy conditions, the Packingtown workers were forced to do their jobs in unsafe conditions as well. Speaking of old Antanas, and his work place, he worked in a place where his feet were soaked in chemicals (Sinclair 76). All throughout the story, Sinclair uses the theme of industrial disregard for its employees. The above examples along with the many, many others show how the means of production, as Carl Marx would have called it, gave no care to the proletariat, only the product. Disillusioned with his situation, Jurgis seeks the comradely of the Union. In it he finds a brotherhood, a sense of belonging. Through these channels Socialism becomes part of Jurgis vocabulary. Fueled by this disillusionment, Socialism offers a breath of fresh air, a light at the end of the tunnel, opposition to all of this abuse he and his family have dealt with from the very beginning of their American experience, and opposition to the system that lead to their demise.

Aside from the lack of care for the worker, the industries displayed a total disregard for public health and quality production. The food produced in Packingtown was, for lack of a better term, nasty. How could they know that the pale-blue milk that they bought around the corner was watered, and doctored with formaldehyde, (Sinclair 75). Stories of the use of bleach or other dies in the spoiled meet to make it look healthy were commonplace in Packingtown. But Elzbieta’s experiences in the sausage factory are by far the worst. Scraps of rotten meat rejected everywhere else find their way into the sausages. So do poisoned rats, rat dung, poisoned bread, spit, consumption germs and the contents of the sausage room waste barrels. James Woodress states that this novel is better judged as propaganda than as literature, accusing Sinclair of heightened stories and observation