Upton Sinclair

What is a Muckraker? The dictionary defines it as, “one who inquires into and publishes scandal and allegations of corruption among political and business leaders.” The term Muckraker has been surrounded with a negative connotation since the term came about in 1902 under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Some synonyms of the term Muckraker include Mudslinger, nitpicker and even hellion. But what most do not understand, is without the work of a Muckraker, those in which I prefer to recognize…

investigative journalism from its early 20th-century beginnings of ‘muckraking, ' to its current function in today’s society. First examined is the history behind investigative journalism, detailing the original obligations of reporters such as Upton Sinclair and Seymour Hersh. Regardless of the name muckraker, devised by President Theodore Roosevelt, the many successes of investigative reporters are also mentioned. Discussed next are the government restrictions such as prior restraint, the…

the article explains many examples of how blue-collar people must constantly use their brains while on the job. Throughout this class, we have read many books that explain just how important this group of people are. In particular, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair relates to concepts in the article as well as The Coal Tattoo by Silas House. All three works describe in detail not only the brawn of the characters and their hardships, but how the…

The American Industrial Revolution was a change in human life conditions that took place in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. There was change in technology, society, education, economy, culture, and medicine. Each were very essential in the growth of the economy. Public Health was something that had to be focused on during the Industrial Revolution. Without public health, how would people survive? Doctors needed technology for resources, education to be well-educated and…

“I have to believe when things are bad I can change them” (Quotes). In the movie The Cinderella Man directed by Ron Howard, James J. Braddock encounters many difficult times throughout the movie, but chooses to let them motivate him, instead of put him down. In the beginning of the film, The Cinderella Man, Jimmy Braddock’s life is zipping along and nothing is going wrong. Then one day, his family starts to endure hardships such as: no heat in the house, no electricity, and minimal amounts of…

Almost any job’s working conditions today seem better than those workers faced in The Jungle, a mid twentieth century novel, by Upton Sinclair. The novel explores the inside of a meat factory and, more importantly, the life of one of its workers through third person narration. This allows one to learn the problems of a capitalistic society by emotional attachment. The problem with corporations is the greed of those on top. The rich want more, while they watch the poor work for their success.…

photojournalism to capture the dismal and dangerous living conditions in working-class tenements in New York City. His work revealed serious problems in American society and advocated, often successfully, for change. Riis's work drew attention from Upton Sinclair, whose novel The Jungle helped to establish stricter standards for worker safety and food production. Both men's works dramatized situations in need of reform and, as a result, laws including the Pure Food Act, the Drug Act, the Meat…

hours were assigned (“The Progressive Era”). This shows how the progressives were truly successful in enforcing new laws. With all the problems going around in this era, you would expect sanitary to not be included but infact was a major problem. Upton Sinclair was the progressive who did his research on unsanitary procedures in the industry. He was known for writing a book titled The Jungle for his realistic descriptions and views. In this book he describes the rotten and disgusting meat that…

Poverty: Arguably, the main struggle of the family in Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle, is that of money. In fact, if the family was well off financially, almost none of their problems would be of existence, and the story wouldn't be nearly as controversial. Take the beginning of the novel for example when the family foreshadowed all the misery they would face due to monetary issues, “Jurgis, too, had heard of America. That was a country where, they said, a man might earn three rubles a day; and…

In The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, the main character is Jurgis Rudkus. He is portrayed as a strong, young man looking for work. Jurgis’s main goal is to equip for his wife and family, to give them the best in life. Jurgis’s wife Ona is personified as feeble and young perhaps in her teenage years such as fourteen to sixteen when she marries Jurgis. Jurgis promises Ona, “Leave it to me; leave it to me. I will earn more money-I will work harder (20).” It is stereotypical to say that the man in the…