The harsh and unbelievable working conditions of labor prove the upper class, profiteering by using the resources available to them. While Jurgis is working in Durham’s meatpacking factory, he witnesses the soiled processes of meatpacking as he says “one by one they hooked up the hogs and one by with a swift stroke they slit their throats”(Sinclair 21). The factory owners developed the process to increase their profit as he expresses “Here at Durham’s for, instance, owned by a man as trying to make as much as he could and didn’t care about the least how he did it” (Sinclair 35). Hence their carelessness about whether is it humane or sanitary way to slaughter the animal, this also meant they are ignorant toward the people.
Therefore that, they hastily distribute the unhealthy hog meat among the people thus many suffered from illnesses caused by them. Even Though the government required health inspection, the inspector” does not have the way of a man who worked to death” (Sinclair 22). Although, the government attempted to regulate businesses to make health conditions better apparently they were all in vain the corruption had grown so much throughout the nation that packers “compelled the mayor to abolish the Bureau of inspection” (Sinclair 56). The government is responsible for businesses regulation it has lost its power, the businesses have gotten control over the government actions instead and they decide how the government should act and what path should it follow.
The businesses have switched their place with the government since they decide everything now. The upper class has gained control over everything due to their huge capital resources. At the beginning of the twentieth century not only men suffered, but in addition, women suffered a lot too. When Jurgis arrives at the U.S. he realizes “all the wonderful dreams of wealth” (Sinclair 15) he holds are nothing, just more than a dream, he thought “a man might earn three rubles a day” (Sinclair 13)but when he realizes the costs of living are much more likewise is already too late. He made a big decision based improper factors. He shouldn’t completely take the blame for his action since the Americans wealth holders did spread across the Europe to attract people to America.
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The factories kept the wages low in order to make cheaper products which meant they could sell more products, therefore, they could make more profit. The Jurgis simplicity not only causes him to suffer but in addition, he family and children suffer too, for instance, her wife”suffers almost as much as Jurgis has from the fertilizer”(Sinclair 77). When the family experience loss income sources, it becomes essential that Ona works beside managing the family.
Quite fast she finds as a can painter in which she earns much less than her husband, which I consider it indicates the gender gap income since women didn’t really have the opportunity to work like men. The employers preferred to employ women since they typically required fewer wages than men, in addition, they abused women. As Ona says “Phil Connor wanted me, he used to speak to me out on the platform. Perhaps the worst issue of the beginning is the twentieth century is child labor. The Jurgis family is one of the victims of this horrible crime. After the death of Ona’s uncle and some arguments, the family “finally decides that two more of the children would have to leave school and work” (Sinclair 71).
The poor life forced the children to leave the school, to make money for families in order to survive. This depicts the lack of government capabilities to bring law and order to the society and protect the future generations from this disastrous crime. If a boy were lucky he might find a job like ” getting men beers”(Sinclair 73)which was a simple task that they could have easily carried it out.But I don’t think all were this lucky. One of the consequences of child labor was the accidents they experienced such as the one the boys” three fingers were permanently disabled “(Sinclair 70). The unprotected children working condition left and any sort of accident possible to happen, but the necessity of the money had pursued them to accept these circumstances. Boys were not the only victims, the girls became victims too.
” Little Kortina like the most children of the poor, prematurely made old “(Sinclair 77). The circumstances of life had altered the young girl, she like any other little girl had to take care of her brother and sisters because no one else was available to do this task. Some of these young girls had to also work outside the house as babysitters to gather some money. The Penniless circumstances of the proletarian class provoked children’s participation in working. The progressive was the era of alternation.The new century was the beginning appearance of the U.S. as a global superpower, but at poor proletarians lives expenditure which led to the spread of socialism but it remains unknown whether the sacrifices were worth it.This uncontrolled capitalist system brings the U.S. to an irreparable economic crash in two decades called the Great Depression which makes the world miserable.
References
- https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/meatpacking.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1119211/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4598263/
- https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2012/01/is-meatpacking-safe/index.htm
- https://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=741282
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28052948/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1811006/
