The Jungle-Upton Sinclair

The Jungle, in an effort by Upton Sinclair to display the life of the lower class in Packingtown, Chicago, dealt with social themes, namely that of exploited labor, and in doing so, it predicted life as it is today.  As conglomerations like Wal-Mart and Clear Channel continue to weed out the possibility for independent mom and pop shops, this theme is solidified.  Like in Packingtown, people today in America offer their labor at extremely low prices, and have to do so because of the American economy.  Undocumented workers wake up early mornings like Jurgis did, and work manual labor all day.  Exploited labor remains a central theme in The Jungle, and this issue is expressed through the use of “the system,” which literally eats you up and spits you back out.            Jurgis woke up every single day with one thought in mind, “I will work harder.”  Does working harder really get one where he or she wants to be in America?  If it were up to Upton Sinclair to decide he would undoubtedly say no.  Immigrants are obsessed with the American dream of owning a house, and gaining wealth, but what they forget is the massive amount of hardship that comes along with that.  In Packingtown, the meat packing industry owners selected people off of the streets, and when their labor was no longer sufficient, the owners would throw them back out on the curb, and pick out a fresh piece of meat.  Meanwhile, the rich climbed the social ladder, which widened the gap between upper and lower class.  The system used the laborers up until they were of no use anymore.  When they expended them, they did so without regard to the fact they would have nothing after their departure.  The owners simply did not care.  No one cared.            

Saloons worsened the situation by reinforcing it.  The workers made enough money to get by, and were often in need of shelter.  They frequented the many saloons in the nearby area, and the saloons were more than happy to take their money.  A free beer was enough to keep the laborers coming back, but when their time was up, if they didn’t have a beer in hand, they were tossed back onto the streets.  When Jurgis ran out of money he was no longer welcome at the saloons.  This vicious cycle solidified the laborers place in Packingtown.  They never ventured past the city limits, and therefore, they knew nothing different.  They did not have the means to make it out of Packingtown.  That they were ignorant to other ways of life played a significant role in the cycle.  If the workers knew of a better life they may have set out for different horizons.  However, since they knew of nothing else, they secured their path towards making their boss richer at the expense of themselves.  The workers never saw the fruits of their labor.  Their wages each week were enough to buy a drink at the saloons, which made them more courageous at their jobs.  It was only after they had frequented them a few times that they felt it absolutely necessary to drink their misery away.  The measly check they got at the end of every week had to suffice, and was often spent on spirits in an effort to make their misery subside, hence the vicious cycle.           

A system with no rewards drives people to insanity.  Jurgis eventually finds out that his working efforts achieved him nothing.  He lost his wife and family, and in the process he brought wealth to the meat packing industry.  He came into Packingtown with a stout heart capable of anything.  He left with a tainted sense of the world, which, in the end, was more apt.  He realized that he was in fact the boss’ hog.  They wanted from the working man everything that would make them richer.  The recycling of labor still happens today.  Upton Sinclair nailed it in the jungle, and confronted it before it had gotten out of control.  Bigger companies can afford to hire labor for cheaper, and also sell products for cheaper, which puts smaller businesses in a position to fail.  The workers’ labor at large corporations is often exploited, and they typically gain no benefits.  As technology continues to increase the demand for labor will decrease.           

In Packingtown, the workers were the technology.  It was a synchronous system that relied on the individual in order for the whole to work, much like an assembly line.  When that person was no longer able to keep up to speed he or she was removed from the system.  Today, machines have replaced the worker.  The worker is no longer fast enough to keep up with the computerized processes that are taking jobs that people would normally perform.  Though Upton Sinclair was most likely not thinking of exploited labor past Packingtown, The Jungle certainly caught a glimpse of its potential to spread outward in the early stages.  If American corporations continue on this path, the gap between upper and lower class will widen tremendously.  Soon no one will have enough money to survive.  Technology will continue to take jobs from individuals due to the capability of it to work in a speedy fashion with no mistakes.  America needs change.           

In the end, The Jungle suggests socialism as a solution to the problem.  In a socialist society corporations would be collectively owned, which means ownership would not be in the hands of one individual.  Jurgis pushes for a socialistic society after coming to a realization of his class consciousness.  After working day in and day out, he realized his work efforts rendered him nothing.  In the process he lost his family, and ultimately his life.  The system does not give you back the number of years taken off of your life as a result of working in such harsh conditions.  American business owners need to look themselves in the mirror, and strive for equality.             

The gap between middle and upper class people continues to worsen as corporations expand and technology grows.  The boss strengthens his enterprise as he directs people to work according to his liking. The system harshly subtracts days off of the lives of individuals who surrender themselves to it.  This is all they knew.  All individuals need to follow in the footsteps of Jurgis.  Steps must be taken in order to close the gap between upper and lower class.  Until this happens, corporations will continue to rise leaving behind thousands of individuals who cannot keep up.  Corporations need to sacrifice in order to give the lower class equal opportunity.