Jungle and Babbitt
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
Throughout the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century, the nation was still shaping itself in terms of the economy, social structure, foreign policies, and politics. A main argument of the times was which type of policy was best for the people and for the economy. In both The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, and Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis, the attitudes of the authors are blatantly obvious about where they believe the answers for a prosperous economy lie. Both books have played pivotal roles in the way people think about the economy and have had a lasting impact on our culture.
In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair's main concern is the ill effects of capitalism and how we can solve this problem. Sinclair stresses the necessity for a socialist economy so that all people are better off. Through using in depth descriptions, Sinclair is able to make his point clear. For example, when Sinclair talks about how when the Lithuanian family came to Chicago and Jurgis was given a tour of where he was going to work, he describes in detail the disgusting condition of the meat packing factory. The unbelievably dirty building, the long hours that the workers worked, the unsanitary treatment of the meat, and the sort of monotony and desensitization that the workers displayed all surprised Jurgis greatly. He made it obvious that he could never just go through the motions like these workers were, but soon found himself in their position...