The Role Of Socialism In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

“You don't have to be satisfied with America as you find it. You can change it.” (Sinclair). We look around the world in which we live, and based on the moral decline surrounding us, we are dissatisfied. Racism and sexism race throughout our cities; moral relativity without absolutes reigns king of confusion; selfish decisions destroy the lives of innocent people around us. A world similar to ours is what Upton Sinclair viewed around him. It was this disgust with the failures of humanity that spurred his decision to change the world, and he sought to do this through his novel, The Jungle. Sinclair intended to fix the world through Socialism and utilitarianism; yet closer looks show that socialistic views of utilitarianism has caused

the problem. Socialism is a system of governance that is based on utilitarian ideals. Utilitarianism is the view that the ends justify the means; that the most beneficial action is the right one, regardless of moral principle (Pojman). Instead, to fix a broken society, kindness must be shown by all, to all.
In 1906, Upton Sinclair released a novel describing the race of survival for European immigrants in America.

The Jungle vents the often overlooked trials and baffling tribulations of Lithuanian newcomers. Upton Sinclair, a well known political activist for the Socialist party writes this story as a glance into the events happening during his life-span. At the time of The Jungle's publication, Sinclair was twenty-eight years old, and he used the profits from his book to run for Congress. During this time, many things were happening in America: the Industrial Age was at its peak; child labor was running rampant; immigration through Ellis Island boomed; and the Communist witch hunt began. These time-markers are viewed through the lens of the setting, the industrialized city of Chicago. The summary of The Jungle is one of a depressed and deceived Lithuanian man. Overall, The Jungle is a book which reflects the frenzied fight for survival in a new land. The Lithuanian people, along with many others, had come to America under the presupposition of a better life. Instead of finding happiness, freedom, and glorious wealth, they found disease, injustice, and meaningless

death.
Jurgis Rudkus, Ona Rudkus, Marija Berczynskas, and Teta Elzbeita are the four main characters in The Jungle; the lucky few able to journey and begin a new life in America. They were promised jobs in America; these jobs hypothetically presented better opportunity than those found in Lithuania. Yet as they trudged through their lives, they discovered that their hopes of a new future was founded on the lies they had been told. Jurgis worked hard to purchase passage from Lithuania to America for himself and his family. After the family arrived in Chicago, Jurgis found work in a meat packing plant, where he witnessed the horrors of food processing. Marija, Ona's older cousin, a strong and tough woman, worked several jobs to help pay for the family's expenses once they arrived in Chicago. Unfortunately, while working in a factory, she cut her hand. Because of this accident, her hand had become infected with gangrene; amputation was unavoidable. For some time, Jurgis left his wife and family in a quest for employment. While he was away, the family was evicted from their small house as they could not pay their rent. As a result, they returned to a boarding house. After months of being away, Jurgis returned home to find his wife Ona dying on the floor. Taking the news soberly, he stumbled into a bar and spent the entire family savings on beer. Only a few short days after the death of his wife, his only child, Antanas, fell off a sidewalk and drowned in a huge mud-puddle. With no wife or child to provide for, Jurgis abandoned his remaining family to the streets of Chicago. As life had dropped him on the bottom of the heap, he roamed the streets until he stumbled across a Socialist rally, and stopped in to listen. He found much interest in this subject, and agreed to speak at different rallies, telling how Capitalism ruined his family, and his life.
This book captivates the reader and draws emotions of sympathy and compassion for the immigrants who had so many struggles thrust upon them. The Jungle depicts immigrants as the victims of racial hate and social injustice – these issues still plague our society today. In this book, there is helplessness, hopelessness, the frantic rush for survival, unjustness and xenophobia (prejudice).
Xenophobia is an unreasonable fear and hatred of foreigners and foreign things. An example is found in the American workplace. Conner, a worker in Ona's unit, attacked her after work-hours. The police offered no assistance to her while her attacker was let off without reprimand. Government officials viewed immigrants as lower than people. Considered sub-human, nothing was done to ease their path of life. As stated previously, utilitarianism is doing what is best for the many at the expense of the few (Pojman). When the police forces and employers of America scowled upon the immigrants, they were working towards their own intentions instead of justly helping those in need. Unequal pay, harsh working conditions, and general lack of respect crushed the wealth-less immigrants, but caused the heartless business owners to prosper. Utilitarian Socialism, not Capitalism, as commonly perceived, crushed the life out of many immigrants. When Ona was attacked in her workplace, the police remained uninvolved in this obvious crime. After learning about what happened to his wife, Jurgis pounded Conner, the attacker, into a pulp. When Connor was attacked, the police immediately became involved, dragging Jurgis into prison and imposing a gargantuan fine on him and his family. Despite the similarities between these two instances, both were treated with different punishments. When the American attacked the immigrant, police and government turned a blind eye to the situation. However, when the immigrant attacked the American, all hell broke loose.
Moral relativity ran rampant through American during this time. Moral relativity is an ethically and logically absurd notion; not everyone can be correct on opposing issues at the same time. How is it ethically permissible for the American man to attack the unarmed immigrant woman? How is it ethically corrupt for the immigrant husband to avenge his wife? They both reflect opposite sides of the same coin. Neither of the actions were ethically permissible, both should have been justly punished.
The immigrants were treated with injustice; the worked like dogs in unhealthy conditions, not paid half of what their proper wages should have been. It was largely due to these ill working conditions and lack of money that led many immigrant workers to their deaths. With slight amounts of care and consideration shown to them, many people, both in The Jungle and in real life, would have survived. None of the working immigrant family-members even thought to inquire about a raise. Because of their illiteracy, the children starved and eventually, the home that Jurgis, Elzbeita, Marija, and Ona had striven to purchase, was revoked from their grasp. " The family had moved; they had not been able to pay the rent, and they had been turned out into the snow, and the house had been repainted and sold again the next week." (Sinclair).
The Jungle depicts how harsh and unwelcoming many Americans acted towards the immigrated people.

The bluntness in which The Jungle tells its woes is its strength, yet also its weakness. To sum up in a single word, this book is depressing; it shows the selfishness of mankind, the racial discrimination, and the willingness to benefit at the expense of others. These ethical issues, and many others, run rampant through The Jungle. Because of the selfish nature so common in all people, only a few of the characters survive in their tragic life. Jurgis, Teta Elzbeita, Marija, and a few children are the only survivors of a once-large and happy family. In poverty, possession of any food was difficult, especially possession of healthy food. Antanas, Jurgis' son, died in a freak-drowning accident, and his mother died in her second childbirth. Two of Teta Elzbeita's children died from eating contaminated meat, another from being eaten by rats. Dede Antanas, Jurgis' father, died because the chemicals he worked with ate away his clothing, and worked their way into his shoes, eventually destroying his feet. “Then, too, a still more dreadful thing happened to him; he worked in a place where his feet were soaked with chemicals, and it was not long before they had eaten through his new boots. Then sores began to break out on his feet ... he learned that it was a regular thing-- it was the saltpeter."

(Sinclair).
Had kindness rather than selfishness been given to Jurgis, or any of his family, it is probable that many of them would have survived life in America. Because of the egoistical and selfish ways of the people, many immigrants suffered; not only did they suffer from lack of physical needs, but they also emotionally suffered in their isolation from human kindness. Kindness, and other virtues of love, are the only things that can reverse such an evil. However, in The Jungle, this evil never was reconciled.
Depression and anger motivated Jurgis to become a Socialistic activist; further encouraging and empowering the movement that ruined his family. Since The Jungle is a novel written with socialistic intent, it portrays how Capitalism ruined the innocence of a once-happy Lithuanian family. To a society of young people, those who are not properly educated in the lies of Socialism, a socialistic government and viewpoint may appear to be a wondrous idea. However, Socialism roots deeply in utilitarianism. Initially, it seems like an effective way to live, as those who practice it generally prosper. If the life and existence of a person is the means to any end, regardless of circumstance, there is no justification for the action. Despite pleasant appearances, utilitarian ends never justify the means. Upton Sinclair, as a Socialist, wrote this to be a story of helplessness and the malignant grip of the Capitalism crushing the poorer people; this story was meant to stir up riots and rallies against the capitalistic government.
Despite its socialistic views, The Jungle is an incredible novel. Not only does it portray the trials and trickery that many immigrants endured, but it is an example of what we must not become. Poverty and sickness, death and disease, all run rampant in this book. Many of the situations that bring about poverty and death can easily be avoided by simple acts of ethical kindness. Instead of existing in a self absorbed manner, individuals should focus on those less fortunate with a helpful attitude. This novel should inspire readers to make differences within their communities. Thankfulness should overwhelm readers. Our grandparents and great grandparents journeyed to America long before we were even imagined. They suffered through injustice and lives of confusion all for the hope of a better tomorrow. Though they did not always have kindness shown to them, yet they persevered. The world of yesterday had many of the same trials we face today; the failures of humanity fueled the fire of determination found in our ancestors. They were not satisfied with the America they found, and so they changed the face of the nation. This is, perhaps, the greatest ethical kindness of them all. Instead of utilitarianism, selfish gain at the expense of others, we have been given the gift of hope, a little suffering in the present for boundless joys.