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Essay / Separating Fact from Fiction in Upton Sinclair's Novel The Jungle industrial era. The story looks back at the horrific and graphic depictions of the meat processing industry in industrializing Chicago. Sinclair wrote the novel in response to the failed workers' strike, simultaneously delivering its socialist message and, through the book's success, brought national attention to the deplorable conditions and otherwise unacceptable corruption in the industry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Although the book became a staple of literature from the time, the accuracy of its accounts and the truth behind the story have been questioned. . By understanding the book's critical reviews, historical sources, and statements from those who lived in Chicago's slaughterhouses, we can begin to understand where fiction meets reality in this classic piece of American literature. Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. was born on September 20, 2008, 1878 in Baltimore, Maryland. He wrote hundreds of short stories and novels, none of which reached the level of fame of his best-selling “The Jungle.” Sinclair, himself considered a madman, actually spent several months disguised as a meat factory worker in order to write the novel while working for a Chicago newspaper. This somehow gives it merit against those who view the book as overly dramatized and inaccurate. However, to ensure sales and an otherwise interesting plot, he no doubt took some liberties to accentuate the horrors of what he witnessed while in the stockyards. We know for a fact that there must be some inherent divergence in the book since the Neill-Reynolds report overseen by President Roosevelt praised the refrigeration and meatpacking industry. During hearings on the matter in 1906, Sinclair was criticized for his writings with statements such as "three-quarters of the things he said were absolute lies". Many would even say that this piece is pure fiction and that Sinclair was little more than a propagandist for socialism. Analysis of "The Jungle" Immigrants of the time attested that few people lived lives as traumatic as Rudkus, Sinclair's protagonist. Sinclair's morose inspiration probably came in part from his upbringing by his alcoholic father with whom Sinclair moved from boarding house to boarding house depending on what his family could afford. In response to the graphic nature of the book and the inspiration it contains, Sinclair said the blatant horrors were there "to drive the most annoying reader home." The infamous “Packingtown” where the story takes place was probably not the cesspool of crime. , of violence and fiery corruption that Sinclair wanted his readers to digest. The novel itself was not intended to draw attention to the gore, but was intended to be more of a socialist promotional short. Sinclair having explained how he had aimed for the nation's heart and landed in its stomach. The corrupt foreman and bosses of the meatpacking centers are portrayed as corrupt capitalist monsters. Bosses often exploit workers, acting like all-powerful puppet masters, turning workers against each other and allowing their foremen to have free reign over the women who are freely exploited. as objects..
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