Analysis Of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle: Robber Baron

During the mid to late 19th century, the term “Robber Baron” came into use. It was used to describe capitalist men who ran big businesses and allegedly acquired their vast fortunes from questionable and unethical business practices. The unethical practices included exploiting workers, including children, with low wages and long, hard hours in unacceptable working conditions; influencing government and elections, thus furthering the corruption of the government; buying out competitors; and, often intimidating smaller competitors into selling their company. Even though most people during the 19th century did not have many problems with the issues of big business, some people dedicated their time to exposing the abuses of these types of companies. Upton Sinclair, widely noted as a socialist and “muckraker”, wrote a propaganda novel called The Jungle that showed how repugnant the meat packing industry was. His book became a bestseller. It inspired shock and outrage over the corruption of meat inspection and the filthy conditions of meat being sold to consumers. Although he admittedly described the main character’s life in a quite dramatic, unrealistic way, his novel was influential and essential in, thanks to Theodore Roosevelt, creating the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat …show more content…
The leaders of the companies could do what they wanted. If the workers did not comply with demands, even unrealistic demands, they could be easily and unjustly fired due to the unregulated power structures in the employer-employee relationship. In addition, an excess of laborers looking for work made it effortless to continue producing at the same rate. Without laws to regulate business, company leaders could get away with anything. They were almost always anti-labor, even if they said they were supporters. They wanted the labor movement