Issues of Progressivism in Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' and Frank Norris 'The Octopus'.
ABSTRACT
Penulisan skripsi ini dimaksudkan untuk memenuhi persyaratan kelulusan di
Jurusan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Sastra Inggris, Universitas Kristen Maranatha,
Bandung. Saya memilih dua novel sebagai kajian penelitian saya dalam penulisan
skripsi ini. Novel pertama pilihan saya ditulis oleh Upton Sinclair yang berjudul The
Jungle, sedangkan novel pilihan kedua saya merupakan karya Frank Norris yang
berjudul The Octopus. Menurut pandangan saya, kedua novelis ini menunjukkan
sikap dan pandangan yang berbeda mengenai praktek kerja kapitalis namun samasama menunjukkan betapa kejamnya sikap para kapitalis dalam memperlakukan
rakyat kecil sehingga mengakibatkan lahirnya aliran progressivisme dalam tatanan
sosial masyarakat Amerika pada saat pergantian abad ke-19.
Pembahasan kedua novel tersebut mengetengahkan konflik-konflik ekonomi
dan sosial yang marak terjadi pada saat itu yang berimbas terutama bagi kalangan
rakyat menengah kebawah yang diasumsikan sebagai akibat dari semakin
terpuruknya moralitas masyarakat di jaman modern ini. Kedua novel tersebut samasama membahas mengenai satu kekuatan besar yang datangnya dari para kapitalis
yang keberadaannya telah banyak menyengsarakan rakyat. Dalam novel The Jungle
kita melihat perusahaan pengalengan daging dan dalam novel The Octopus ada
perusahaan kereta api sebagai perwujudan dari kejamnya para kapitalis. Kedua
perusahaan dalam novel tersebut sama-sama dikelola oleh orang-orang yang memiliki
moralitas yang bobrok sehingga mereka dengan teganya menyengsarakan orangorang yang bekerja untuk mereka ataupun yang memakai jasa mereka.
Dari kedua pembahasan novel tersebut, saya berkesimpulan bahwa
progressivisme merupakan suatu pergerakan nyata namun tidak jelas arahnya yang
digerakkan oleh orang-orang yang merasa tertekan dengan penguasa-penguasa yang
korup, tirani, dan sewenang-wenang.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................iii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study………………………………………….1
Statement of the Problem………………………………………….6
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………6
Method of Research……………………………………………….6
Organization of the Thesis………………………………...……... 7
CHAPTER TWO: THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK…………………8
CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSION ON THEME OF PROGRESSIVISM
IN THE JUNGLE……………………………….14
CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION ON THEME OF PROGRESSIVISM
IN THE OCTOPUS…………………………….29
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION……………………………….…....46
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of The Octopus………………………………………...51
Synopsis of The Jungle……………………………………..........53
Biography of the Authors……...…………………………………54
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………55
ii
APPENDICES
Synopsis of The Octopus
The Octopus is based on the Mussel Slough incident, a land dispute between
Californian farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad, which culminated in the
killing of eight men in a shootout. However, the conflict between farmers and railroad
went to the heart of American capitalism's relation with land, always ideologically
significant in the U.S.A., and never more so than in this period with the closure of the
frontier in the 1890s, and the realisation in the same decade that the industrialised
economy had come to dominate agriculture in the U.S.
When the novel begins there is already much animosity between the wheat
farmers of the San Joaquin valley and the Pacific and Southwestern Railroad. Having
rented land from the railroad, the ranchers find themselves in financial straits through
a combination of heavy mortgages, poor harvests, and the railroad's policy of setting
freight charges “as high as the market will stand”. Although the railroad had initially
pledged to sell the land at low prices, arrangements to transfer ownership have been
delayed, during which time the farmers have improved it through cultivation.
Meanwhile, the P. & S.W. controls the cost of shipping the farmers' grain through its
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dominance of the Californian Railroad Commission. Over a communal dinner, one
farmer, Osterman, proposes an attempt to take control of the commission by the only
means possible, bribery. Undermined by the narrator as “hot-headed”, and “a wearer
of clothes”, Osterman nevertheless recruits several neighbours to his plan, including
Buck Annixter (an inarticulate, intemperate, but sympathetic character, based on
Norris's friend Seymour Waterhouse), old Broderson, and the enigmatic Dabney. The
pre-eminent farmer, Magnus Derrick (a figure partly based on the farmers' leader in
the Mussel Shoals conflict), at first remains aloof on moral grounds. But when,
during a vividly depicted dance held to celebrate the opening of Annixter's new barn,
the farmers are informed of the extortionate rates finally set for the land sale, Derrick
agrees to head the league.
As the conflict rise up, the farmers are defeated at every turn. The plan to pack
the Railroad Commission goes awry when the league counts on the support of
Derrick's eldest son Lyman. Political ambition has already led Lyman to ally himself
secretly with the railroad, and he betrays the league. The affair comes to a climax
when two railroad representatives, S. Behrman and Cyrus Ruggles, arrive with the
United States marshal to put puppet buyers in control of the land tenanted by the
ranchers.
Synopsis of The Jungle
The Jungle is a story about an immigrant family from Lithuania who come to
America to fulfill the so called American Dream which are so famous among
European. The main character in this story is Jurgis Rudkus; he is a very optimistic
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person who always thinks positive in every single way, Jurgis believes that by
working very hard, he will be easily reach his goal which is to have a good life in
America. However, a better life is not happen only by working hard and be positive,
it needs lucky and chance.
As they begin working, the family members discover the horrifying swindles
of Packingtown. The conditions of work are inhuman, and the workers are treated
awfully. Jurgis' father is only able to get a job after bribing a boss in the pickling
rooms of a meat packing plant. The conditions there are terrible, and the job
ultimately kills the old man. Winter brings fresh cruelties. Walking to work in the
snow is difficult, the factories are unheated, and for Jurgis, the killing beds are
fraught with danger due to poor visibility.
Calamity hits the family when Jurgis sprains his ankle at work and the
company refuses to take responsibility for the accident. Jurgis is bedridden for three
months. One night, Ona does not return from work. The next morning she tells Jurgis
she was forced to spend the night with her friend Jadvyga, because heavy snow had
disrupted the streetcars. When Ona fails to return home a second time, Jurgis goes to
Jadvyga's house and learns that Ona has lied to him. Angry and suspicious, he
confronts Ona and learns that she has been forced to sleep with the foreman of the
loading gang at her plant, Phil Connor. Jurgis berates Ona cruelly and in a fit of fury
attacks Connor. Jurgis is sentenced to thirty days in jail for this crime. He returns
from jail to find the family thrown out of the house and back at Aniele Jukniene's. In
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the end of the story, Jurgis joined the Socialist Party which is said to be the best
solution to their sufferings.
Biography of Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968), was an American novelist, essayist, playwright,
and short story writer, whose most famous book is The Jungle (1906). He was born in
Baltimore, Maryland on September 20th 1878. He started to write dime novels at the
age of 15 and produced ethnic jokes and hack fiction for pulp magazines to finance
his studies at New York City College. In 1900 Sinclair married his first wife (they
divorced in 1911). The unhappy marriage led to the writing of Springtime And
Harvest (1901). As a writer Sinclair gained fame in 1906 with the novel The Jungle, a
novel which depicts the life conflicts of the Immigrants life who come to America.
The book won Sinclair fame and fortune, and led to the implementation of the Pure
Food and Drug Act in 1906. Sinclair had joined the Socialist Party at the age of 24. In
1934 he ran for the governor of California, but failed to be elected.
From Pasadena Sinclair suddenly moved in 1953 to a remote Arizona village
of Buckeye. His second wife, whom he married in 1913, predeceased him in 1961, as
did his third wife, in 1967. Sinclair died on November 25, 1968.
Biography of Frank Norris
Frank Norris (1870-1902) was an American author and journalist, whose
famous by his work, McTeague (1899). Frank Norris was born in Chicago, Illinois on
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March 5th 1870. He studied art in Paris before attending the University of California
at Berkeley (1890-1894) where finally he started his literary career. In 1900 he
married Jeannette Norris Black. A man of contrasts, born in the East, Norris would
soon adopt the West as his spiritual home, a member of the Bohemian Club of San
Francisco during the days of the Gold Rush. He enthusiastically studied Émile Zola
and Edgar Allen Poe, experimenting with poetry, short stories and essays. His grasp
of the American West is captured in many of his short stories and novels including
The Octopus (1901). Frank Norris died in San Francisco on 25 October 1902 after an
attack of appendicitis. He lies buried in the Mountain View Cemetery of Oakland,
Alameda County, California. The Pit (1903) and Vandover the Brute (1914) were
published posthumously.
(Summaries and biographies The Jungle & The Octopus are adopted from
Sparksnotes, http://www.sparksnotes.com)
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The United States of America, believed to be a land of freedom, is a highly
progressive country with many advances in Technology, Medicine, Government,
Social and Economic System. No wonder, many people think that the United States
of America always comes up one-step ahead of any other country in the world. Over
the past three centuries since her independence in 1776, America has kept on
improving herself as a leading country in some main aspects of life, especially in the
economic and political fields; spreading her influence throughout the world. One of
the many American influences that have quite a significant contribution to the global
world is her economic system. As stated in the encyclopedia about American
Economic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States), that the
United States has the largest national economy in the world, with a GDP for 2006 of
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13.3 trillion dollars. The success that has been achieved by USA nowadays,
especially in the economic field, is not easily accomplished without any effort.
Despite the fact that the economic system is so well known, the country has
undergone many transformations and lots of changes in many ways.
I am interested in studying the relationship between the Capitalists, the
government and the workers in the United States of America as they take a great part
in the American economic development. These three elements cannot be separated
since there is a strong bond among one with another. The Capitalists need the
workers to operate their machines. The workers depend on the government to protect
their rights from bad Capitalists. Meanwhile, the government needs the Capitalists
since they give some benefits to the government.
Undeniably, human lives keep on progressing from time to time. The
inventions in technologies like machines, trains, and cars have made everything easier
and faster. In the 19th century, the United States of America came to the age of
Industrial Revolution and these new inventions somehow replaced the role of
working people. Although it seemed like machines had replaced the role of workers;
however, it did not mean that these corporations did not need workers; they still
needed workers to operate the machines. Unfortunately, the owners of these big
corporations became less and less concerned about the workers and did not take much
care about the working conditions; they only cared about the profit. The same thing
happened to the farmers who lived in the rural areas. These farmers depended on
railroad companies to transport their crops. Nevertheless, the railroad companies put
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the farmers in such hard times by increasing the rate of fright and the cost of land
renting. Many farmers went bankrupt and moved to more developing cities, which
seemed to offer many job opportunities.
As time went by, the workers and the farmers started to feel dissatisfied. They
were dissatisfied with the long working hours, low wages, bad and unhealthy working
conditions, high renting cost of land and so on. While it seemed that the workers and
farmers had expected more from the government to perform an action, in order to
limit companies from exploiting the workers excessively; the government, instead,
took it indifferently. The government shut their eyes to every bad practice done by the
companies since they had a personal interest on the companies as to promote the
export trading and increase foreign exchange, not to mention the extra money they
could get from the companies. At that time, many people, especially from the middle
class, saw the need to make some changes in the system so that the benefits would be
split evenly. This action was called Progressivism.
Based on Digital History website, Progressivism is an umbrella label for a
wide range of economic, political, social, and moral reforms. During the Progressive
Era (1900-1909), the influence of Industrialization was overwhelming in America;
many factories were built around this time and railroads had tracks all over the
country. Nevertheless, the gap between the rich and the poor was inevitable. The rich
became richer and the poor became poorer. In this greedy and corruptive time, a new
breed of journalists was born, called The Muckrakers. They tried to describe the
outcry of this common people in their books in order to arouse public awareness of
the social and economic injustices in America during this Progressive Era.
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Among the existing muckrakers, I find two notable figures who have a great
contribution to the world of literature since they highlight specific economic and
social illnesses that lead the government into action: Upton Sinclair and Frank Norris
(taken from Wikipedia website). Both authors seem to have the same concern toward
the society that they are aware of the evil of capitalists and show the importance of
progressivism in their works. Therefore, I think The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and
The Octopus by Frank Norris are worth analyzing since these books deal with
Industrialization and uphold some issues in the American life during the progressive
era, which includes the freedom of the individual versus the strength of the
impersonal corporations. It was believed by most Americans that such issue was a
prominent concern during the progressive era when America became industrialized
and big businesses monopolized markets.
The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair in 1906, traces an immigrant family's
exploitation and the unsanitary practices prevailing in Chicago's meat packing
industry. The outrage provoked by the novel contributed to the enactment of the Pure
Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906, the first legislation of its
kind to set minimum standards for food and drug production (taken from Eagleton
Institute of Politics Rutgers website). The Octopus written by Frank Norris in 1901,
traces San Joaquin Valley’s farmers’ unfair treatment by the Pacific and
Southwestern Railroad.
The Jungle deals with the immigrants who are against the Meat Packing
Factory owners. This novel uncovers the wage slavery, unsanitary conditions of the
cattle, the dangers of unsafe machinery, child labouring, the degrading effects of slum
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existence and the exploitation of labourers. The Jungle was written before the society
realized that there was a problem inside the Meat Packingtown. The horror of these
details caused so much public outcry that Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug
Act less than a year after the publication of the book. The major character, Jurgis, is
the victim of the evil capitalists; he loses his family and also his dreams; somehow,
he manages to change his life in the end. At the end of the novel, The Jungle seems to
show an optimistic attitude even though it never states that the major character has
successfully achieved the goal of progressivism.
The Octopus depicts the conflict between farmers and the Railroad Company
over land and power. Having rented land from the railroad, the ranchers find
themselves in a financial threat through a combination of heavy mortgages, poor
harvests, and the railroad’s policy of setting freight charges as high as the market will
stand (http://www.litencyc.com). The Octopus, which was written after the Mussel
Slough incident that happened in 1880s, shows the society of the degrading value of
capitalism. The role of the government is more promoted in The Octopus. The books
state how important government role is for the farmers to protect their rights. There is
no specific major character in this novel; it deals with some characters who share
quite the same idea about things that happen around them. There is a sense of
progressivism in each character but they are submissive to the conditions that put a
lot of pressure on them. At the end of the novel, readers are taken to a thought that
there is some kind of force beyond that cannot be opposed and that human life has
been tied by some kind of scheme.
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My intention in writing this thesis is to present the issues of Progressivism by
observing the life of the characters in the novels. Both novels refer to social criticism
to create some sorts of social reformation and social changes in the social and
economic injustice at that time. I think that the writers may affirm or criticize the
values of the society in which they live. Thus, I choose sociological approach as a
medium to reveal the theme since according to Kennedy, ‘Sociological approach is
used in order to analyze a certain social content within literary work that is the
economic, cultural, or political values in which a particular text implicitly or
explicitly promotes’. (Kennedy, 2002:646). I use the sociological approach in
revealing the theme through characters in order to learn the economic background of
the United States of America and its impact on the society during the Progressive Era.
Hence, I will find out people’s reaction toward industrial revolution and the effect of
the capitalists’ malpractice.
Statement of the Problems
1. What are the issues of Progressivism in The Jungle and The Octopus?
2. How do the characters help to reveal the issues of Progressivism?
Purpose of the Study
1. To reveal the issues of Progressivism from The Jungle and The Octopus.
2. To show how the characters help to reveal the issues.
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Method of Research
I choose sociological approach as a method to help me analyze the two novels.
In the meantime, I also use the library research and Internet research to search for
additional information regarding the books that I choose. I began with reading The
Jungle and The Octopus as the primary texts. Last but not least, I combine all the
information that I have collected to be able to draw the conclusion.
Organization of the Thesis
The thesis consists of four chapters as a whole and is preceded by the
Acknowledgements, the Table of Contents, and the Abstract. Chapter One is the
Introduction, which consists of the Background of the Study, Statement of the
Problems, Purpose of the Study, Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis.
Chapter Two provides the Theoretical Framework of the Progressive Era. Chapter
Three provides a discussion on the issues of progressivism in the novel The Jungle.
Chapter Four provides the discussion on the issues of progressivism in the novel The
Octopus. After I finish the analysis, the thesis will arrive at the conclusion, which will
be put in Chapter Five. The thesis will end with the Bibliography and the Appendices
that consist of the Synopses of both novels and the Biographies of both authors.
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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed The Jungle and The Octopus, I conclude that both novels
share similar impression about the issues of Progressivism but have different methods
in solving the problems arising in that era. As what I have read in both novels, I think
that the existence of Progressivism is ambiguous since it is not clear whether it is
beneficial or not for the society.
Indeed, if I look once again at the word Progressivism, supposedly it refers to
a development, advancement, improvement, and forward movement to a better
condition of society. The word ‘better’ here means a corruption-free government, no
discrimination toward gender and social status, and no excessive exploitation of the
poor. Yet in fact, Progressivism does not entirely accomplish its purposes. What I see
here, Progressivism has become a camouflage to conceal moral degradation of
society in general. Society does not become better; instead, it continuously absorbs
the bad values caused by Progressivism, which makes the society get worse day by
day.
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Thus, I think Progressivism refers to a thought that there is something wrong
about the condition of American people’s lives and at the same time triggers some
people to put an attempt to fix it. Although the contribution of Progressivism seems
vague, in my opinion, it is a point when common people start to notice that their
morality is degrading bit by bit because of the malpractice of people with power and
money. This awareness makes people start to think of how to build a secure and
prosperous country but still able to cover the welfare of all people without harassing
people who belong to the lower class and to boost up their degrading morality; hence,
this Progressivism era results in the Government’s further act to make new
regulations and legislations to act as a police and limit people from doing harmful
things.
The Octopus describes about Progressivism even though the author is very
likely not aware of it. It is the very beginning era of Progressivism where the
problems start to occur one by one. The major problem that happens in the novel is
that many small wheat farmers have to suffer from bankruptcy due to malpractice of
power by the Railroad Company. Lack of Government interference worsens the
situation since there are no laws that can control the power of the Railroad Company.
As a result, people start to lose their faith for the Government to save their lives from
the excessive power of the Railroad and try to solve it by their own hands.
I perceive the way the farmers confront the Railroad Company as a
transformation to be one of a kind as the Railroad, and that is one of the issue we can
see at that time around. The farmers even use a dishonest way such bribery to have a
seat in the Railroad Commission Board. I can see how desperate the farmers are since
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they try to fight the Railroad by doing a bad thing like bribery. However, when the
Railroad Commission cannot help them either, they become mad and lose their mind
and thus, they confront the Railroad Company face to face. It is one proof that shows
how personality can change and their morality has degraded to be one of a kind as the
Capitalists.
In my opinion, the end of the story shows a pessimistic feeling since it looks
like everything is blamed on the nature of competition and survival; just like
Darwin’s theory: ‘Survival of the Fittest’; if you fit, you will survive or else be
eliminated. I also sense that people seem to have to adapt with whatever system or
value that they might have in their lives; however, I personally think that it is always
worth trying to fight for what you believe in.
Unlike the way people solve their problem in The Octopus, Upton Sinclair
offers a better idea in solving the problem except the problem of morality. I believe
that the major character, Jurgis, acts more carefully and thoughtfully in fighting the
Meat Packing Company after those misfortunes happen to him. I think that it is a
good idea since there is no way for powerless man like Jurgis to confront the
Company without any strategy and forbearance. Even when you point your gun to
someone’s head, it will be useless because in the end you are the one who will be
responsible. Jurgis once uses this way in asking for justice for his wife to her boss for
raping her and forcing her into prostitution, but what happens is Jurgis has to spend
three months in jail for assaulting; ironically, the boss gets away without any charges.
Compared to the wheat farmers in The Octopus, Jurgis looks more patient and
has more control over himself. I think it is maybe because Jurgis does not have any
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business interest like the wheat farmers. Jurgis just wants to protect his family; he just
wants to provide a better living for his family. However, the excessive power and
exploitation of workers ruin the oneness of the family. I think that in The Jungle, The
family value that is put in jeopardy.
Progressivism in The Jungle is more or less the same as The Octopus; it is a
vague movement of which the benefits seem vague. However, I sense a more
optimistic ending in The Jungle. People are made to believe that joining a union can
solve their problems since they think that unions can force the government down to
do some actions to protect their lives.
Last but not least, I think that the target of Progressivism may be
accomplished in some cases but still it fails in preventing the negative issues from
occurring in the society, especially in its time. Yet, with the Government’s
interference in limiting the power of the Capitalist, it is expected that the moral
degradation can be slowed down.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Texts:
Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. New York: Bantam Book, 1981.
Norris, Frank. The Octopus. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State
University, 2002.
References:
Datesman, Kearny, JoAnn Crandall, and Edward N. Kearny. The
American Ways. New York: Prentice Hall Regents, 1997.
O’Callaghan, Bryn. An Illustrated History of the USA. New York:
Longman Group, 1990.
Link, Arthur S., William B. Catton. American Epoch. New York: Alfred A.
Knopf, Inc., 1973.
Eagleton Institutes of Politics. Progressive Era. New Jersey: Eagleton
Institutes of Politics, 2004.
Internet Sites:
Feldmeth, Greg D. U.S. History Resources. 12 June
2007
MSN Encarta. 2007. United States (Economic). 05 July 2007
Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Capitalism. 13
September
2006
Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Progressive Era. 13 September 2006
Penulisan skripsi ini dimaksudkan untuk memenuhi persyaratan kelulusan di
Jurusan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Sastra Inggris, Universitas Kristen Maranatha,
Bandung. Saya memilih dua novel sebagai kajian penelitian saya dalam penulisan
skripsi ini. Novel pertama pilihan saya ditulis oleh Upton Sinclair yang berjudul The
Jungle, sedangkan novel pilihan kedua saya merupakan karya Frank Norris yang
berjudul The Octopus. Menurut pandangan saya, kedua novelis ini menunjukkan
sikap dan pandangan yang berbeda mengenai praktek kerja kapitalis namun samasama menunjukkan betapa kejamnya sikap para kapitalis dalam memperlakukan
rakyat kecil sehingga mengakibatkan lahirnya aliran progressivisme dalam tatanan
sosial masyarakat Amerika pada saat pergantian abad ke-19.
Pembahasan kedua novel tersebut mengetengahkan konflik-konflik ekonomi
dan sosial yang marak terjadi pada saat itu yang berimbas terutama bagi kalangan
rakyat menengah kebawah yang diasumsikan sebagai akibat dari semakin
terpuruknya moralitas masyarakat di jaman modern ini. Kedua novel tersebut samasama membahas mengenai satu kekuatan besar yang datangnya dari para kapitalis
yang keberadaannya telah banyak menyengsarakan rakyat. Dalam novel The Jungle
kita melihat perusahaan pengalengan daging dan dalam novel The Octopus ada
perusahaan kereta api sebagai perwujudan dari kejamnya para kapitalis. Kedua
perusahaan dalam novel tersebut sama-sama dikelola oleh orang-orang yang memiliki
moralitas yang bobrok sehingga mereka dengan teganya menyengsarakan orangorang yang bekerja untuk mereka ataupun yang memakai jasa mereka.
Dari kedua pembahasan novel tersebut, saya berkesimpulan bahwa
progressivisme merupakan suatu pergerakan nyata namun tidak jelas arahnya yang
digerakkan oleh orang-orang yang merasa tertekan dengan penguasa-penguasa yang
korup, tirani, dan sewenang-wenang.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................iii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study………………………………………….1
Statement of the Problem………………………………………….6
Purpose of the Study………………………………………………6
Method of Research……………………………………………….6
Organization of the Thesis………………………………...……... 7
CHAPTER TWO: THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK…………………8
CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSION ON THEME OF PROGRESSIVISM
IN THE JUNGLE……………………………….14
CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION ON THEME OF PROGRESSIVISM
IN THE OCTOPUS…………………………….29
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION……………………………….…....46
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of The Octopus………………………………………...51
Synopsis of The Jungle……………………………………..........53
Biography of the Authors……...…………………………………54
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………55
ii
APPENDICES
Synopsis of The Octopus
The Octopus is based on the Mussel Slough incident, a land dispute between
Californian farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad, which culminated in the
killing of eight men in a shootout. However, the conflict between farmers and railroad
went to the heart of American capitalism's relation with land, always ideologically
significant in the U.S.A., and never more so than in this period with the closure of the
frontier in the 1890s, and the realisation in the same decade that the industrialised
economy had come to dominate agriculture in the U.S.
When the novel begins there is already much animosity between the wheat
farmers of the San Joaquin valley and the Pacific and Southwestern Railroad. Having
rented land from the railroad, the ranchers find themselves in financial straits through
a combination of heavy mortgages, poor harvests, and the railroad's policy of setting
freight charges “as high as the market will stand”. Although the railroad had initially
pledged to sell the land at low prices, arrangements to transfer ownership have been
delayed, during which time the farmers have improved it through cultivation.
Meanwhile, the P. & S.W. controls the cost of shipping the farmers' grain through its
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dominance of the Californian Railroad Commission. Over a communal dinner, one
farmer, Osterman, proposes an attempt to take control of the commission by the only
means possible, bribery. Undermined by the narrator as “hot-headed”, and “a wearer
of clothes”, Osterman nevertheless recruits several neighbours to his plan, including
Buck Annixter (an inarticulate, intemperate, but sympathetic character, based on
Norris's friend Seymour Waterhouse), old Broderson, and the enigmatic Dabney. The
pre-eminent farmer, Magnus Derrick (a figure partly based on the farmers' leader in
the Mussel Shoals conflict), at first remains aloof on moral grounds. But when,
during a vividly depicted dance held to celebrate the opening of Annixter's new barn,
the farmers are informed of the extortionate rates finally set for the land sale, Derrick
agrees to head the league.
As the conflict rise up, the farmers are defeated at every turn. The plan to pack
the Railroad Commission goes awry when the league counts on the support of
Derrick's eldest son Lyman. Political ambition has already led Lyman to ally himself
secretly with the railroad, and he betrays the league. The affair comes to a climax
when two railroad representatives, S. Behrman and Cyrus Ruggles, arrive with the
United States marshal to put puppet buyers in control of the land tenanted by the
ranchers.
Synopsis of The Jungle
The Jungle is a story about an immigrant family from Lithuania who come to
America to fulfill the so called American Dream which are so famous among
European. The main character in this story is Jurgis Rudkus; he is a very optimistic
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person who always thinks positive in every single way, Jurgis believes that by
working very hard, he will be easily reach his goal which is to have a good life in
America. However, a better life is not happen only by working hard and be positive,
it needs lucky and chance.
As they begin working, the family members discover the horrifying swindles
of Packingtown. The conditions of work are inhuman, and the workers are treated
awfully. Jurgis' father is only able to get a job after bribing a boss in the pickling
rooms of a meat packing plant. The conditions there are terrible, and the job
ultimately kills the old man. Winter brings fresh cruelties. Walking to work in the
snow is difficult, the factories are unheated, and for Jurgis, the killing beds are
fraught with danger due to poor visibility.
Calamity hits the family when Jurgis sprains his ankle at work and the
company refuses to take responsibility for the accident. Jurgis is bedridden for three
months. One night, Ona does not return from work. The next morning she tells Jurgis
she was forced to spend the night with her friend Jadvyga, because heavy snow had
disrupted the streetcars. When Ona fails to return home a second time, Jurgis goes to
Jadvyga's house and learns that Ona has lied to him. Angry and suspicious, he
confronts Ona and learns that she has been forced to sleep with the foreman of the
loading gang at her plant, Phil Connor. Jurgis berates Ona cruelly and in a fit of fury
attacks Connor. Jurgis is sentenced to thirty days in jail for this crime. He returns
from jail to find the family thrown out of the house and back at Aniele Jukniene's. In
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the end of the story, Jurgis joined the Socialist Party which is said to be the best
solution to their sufferings.
Biography of Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968), was an American novelist, essayist, playwright,
and short story writer, whose most famous book is The Jungle (1906). He was born in
Baltimore, Maryland on September 20th 1878. He started to write dime novels at the
age of 15 and produced ethnic jokes and hack fiction for pulp magazines to finance
his studies at New York City College. In 1900 Sinclair married his first wife (they
divorced in 1911). The unhappy marriage led to the writing of Springtime And
Harvest (1901). As a writer Sinclair gained fame in 1906 with the novel The Jungle, a
novel which depicts the life conflicts of the Immigrants life who come to America.
The book won Sinclair fame and fortune, and led to the implementation of the Pure
Food and Drug Act in 1906. Sinclair had joined the Socialist Party at the age of 24. In
1934 he ran for the governor of California, but failed to be elected.
From Pasadena Sinclair suddenly moved in 1953 to a remote Arizona village
of Buckeye. His second wife, whom he married in 1913, predeceased him in 1961, as
did his third wife, in 1967. Sinclair died on November 25, 1968.
Biography of Frank Norris
Frank Norris (1870-1902) was an American author and journalist, whose
famous by his work, McTeague (1899). Frank Norris was born in Chicago, Illinois on
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March 5th 1870. He studied art in Paris before attending the University of California
at Berkeley (1890-1894) where finally he started his literary career. In 1900 he
married Jeannette Norris Black. A man of contrasts, born in the East, Norris would
soon adopt the West as his spiritual home, a member of the Bohemian Club of San
Francisco during the days of the Gold Rush. He enthusiastically studied Émile Zola
and Edgar Allen Poe, experimenting with poetry, short stories and essays. His grasp
of the American West is captured in many of his short stories and novels including
The Octopus (1901). Frank Norris died in San Francisco on 25 October 1902 after an
attack of appendicitis. He lies buried in the Mountain View Cemetery of Oakland,
Alameda County, California. The Pit (1903) and Vandover the Brute (1914) were
published posthumously.
(Summaries and biographies The Jungle & The Octopus are adopted from
Sparksnotes, http://www.sparksnotes.com)
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The United States of America, believed to be a land of freedom, is a highly
progressive country with many advances in Technology, Medicine, Government,
Social and Economic System. No wonder, many people think that the United States
of America always comes up one-step ahead of any other country in the world. Over
the past three centuries since her independence in 1776, America has kept on
improving herself as a leading country in some main aspects of life, especially in the
economic and political fields; spreading her influence throughout the world. One of
the many American influences that have quite a significant contribution to the global
world is her economic system. As stated in the encyclopedia about American
Economic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States), that the
United States has the largest national economy in the world, with a GDP for 2006 of
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13.3 trillion dollars. The success that has been achieved by USA nowadays,
especially in the economic field, is not easily accomplished without any effort.
Despite the fact that the economic system is so well known, the country has
undergone many transformations and lots of changes in many ways.
I am interested in studying the relationship between the Capitalists, the
government and the workers in the United States of America as they take a great part
in the American economic development. These three elements cannot be separated
since there is a strong bond among one with another. The Capitalists need the
workers to operate their machines. The workers depend on the government to protect
their rights from bad Capitalists. Meanwhile, the government needs the Capitalists
since they give some benefits to the government.
Undeniably, human lives keep on progressing from time to time. The
inventions in technologies like machines, trains, and cars have made everything easier
and faster. In the 19th century, the United States of America came to the age of
Industrial Revolution and these new inventions somehow replaced the role of
working people. Although it seemed like machines had replaced the role of workers;
however, it did not mean that these corporations did not need workers; they still
needed workers to operate the machines. Unfortunately, the owners of these big
corporations became less and less concerned about the workers and did not take much
care about the working conditions; they only cared about the profit. The same thing
happened to the farmers who lived in the rural areas. These farmers depended on
railroad companies to transport their crops. Nevertheless, the railroad companies put
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the farmers in such hard times by increasing the rate of fright and the cost of land
renting. Many farmers went bankrupt and moved to more developing cities, which
seemed to offer many job opportunities.
As time went by, the workers and the farmers started to feel dissatisfied. They
were dissatisfied with the long working hours, low wages, bad and unhealthy working
conditions, high renting cost of land and so on. While it seemed that the workers and
farmers had expected more from the government to perform an action, in order to
limit companies from exploiting the workers excessively; the government, instead,
took it indifferently. The government shut their eyes to every bad practice done by the
companies since they had a personal interest on the companies as to promote the
export trading and increase foreign exchange, not to mention the extra money they
could get from the companies. At that time, many people, especially from the middle
class, saw the need to make some changes in the system so that the benefits would be
split evenly. This action was called Progressivism.
Based on Digital History website, Progressivism is an umbrella label for a
wide range of economic, political, social, and moral reforms. During the Progressive
Era (1900-1909), the influence of Industrialization was overwhelming in America;
many factories were built around this time and railroads had tracks all over the
country. Nevertheless, the gap between the rich and the poor was inevitable. The rich
became richer and the poor became poorer. In this greedy and corruptive time, a new
breed of journalists was born, called The Muckrakers. They tried to describe the
outcry of this common people in their books in order to arouse public awareness of
the social and economic injustices in America during this Progressive Era.
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Among the existing muckrakers, I find two notable figures who have a great
contribution to the world of literature since they highlight specific economic and
social illnesses that lead the government into action: Upton Sinclair and Frank Norris
(taken from Wikipedia website). Both authors seem to have the same concern toward
the society that they are aware of the evil of capitalists and show the importance of
progressivism in their works. Therefore, I think The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and
The Octopus by Frank Norris are worth analyzing since these books deal with
Industrialization and uphold some issues in the American life during the progressive
era, which includes the freedom of the individual versus the strength of the
impersonal corporations. It was believed by most Americans that such issue was a
prominent concern during the progressive era when America became industrialized
and big businesses monopolized markets.
The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair in 1906, traces an immigrant family's
exploitation and the unsanitary practices prevailing in Chicago's meat packing
industry. The outrage provoked by the novel contributed to the enactment of the Pure
Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906, the first legislation of its
kind to set minimum standards for food and drug production (taken from Eagleton
Institute of Politics Rutgers website). The Octopus written by Frank Norris in 1901,
traces San Joaquin Valley’s farmers’ unfair treatment by the Pacific and
Southwestern Railroad.
The Jungle deals with the immigrants who are against the Meat Packing
Factory owners. This novel uncovers the wage slavery, unsanitary conditions of the
cattle, the dangers of unsafe machinery, child labouring, the degrading effects of slum
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existence and the exploitation of labourers. The Jungle was written before the society
realized that there was a problem inside the Meat Packingtown. The horror of these
details caused so much public outcry that Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug
Act less than a year after the publication of the book. The major character, Jurgis, is
the victim of the evil capitalists; he loses his family and also his dreams; somehow,
he manages to change his life in the end. At the end of the novel, The Jungle seems to
show an optimistic attitude even though it never states that the major character has
successfully achieved the goal of progressivism.
The Octopus depicts the conflict between farmers and the Railroad Company
over land and power. Having rented land from the railroad, the ranchers find
themselves in a financial threat through a combination of heavy mortgages, poor
harvests, and the railroad’s policy of setting freight charges as high as the market will
stand (http://www.litencyc.com). The Octopus, which was written after the Mussel
Slough incident that happened in 1880s, shows the society of the degrading value of
capitalism. The role of the government is more promoted in The Octopus. The books
state how important government role is for the farmers to protect their rights. There is
no specific major character in this novel; it deals with some characters who share
quite the same idea about things that happen around them. There is a sense of
progressivism in each character but they are submissive to the conditions that put a
lot of pressure on them. At the end of the novel, readers are taken to a thought that
there is some kind of force beyond that cannot be opposed and that human life has
been tied by some kind of scheme.
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My intention in writing this thesis is to present the issues of Progressivism by
observing the life of the characters in the novels. Both novels refer to social criticism
to create some sorts of social reformation and social changes in the social and
economic injustice at that time. I think that the writers may affirm or criticize the
values of the society in which they live. Thus, I choose sociological approach as a
medium to reveal the theme since according to Kennedy, ‘Sociological approach is
used in order to analyze a certain social content within literary work that is the
economic, cultural, or political values in which a particular text implicitly or
explicitly promotes’. (Kennedy, 2002:646). I use the sociological approach in
revealing the theme through characters in order to learn the economic background of
the United States of America and its impact on the society during the Progressive Era.
Hence, I will find out people’s reaction toward industrial revolution and the effect of
the capitalists’ malpractice.
Statement of the Problems
1. What are the issues of Progressivism in The Jungle and The Octopus?
2. How do the characters help to reveal the issues of Progressivism?
Purpose of the Study
1. To reveal the issues of Progressivism from The Jungle and The Octopus.
2. To show how the characters help to reveal the issues.
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Method of Research
I choose sociological approach as a method to help me analyze the two novels.
In the meantime, I also use the library research and Internet research to search for
additional information regarding the books that I choose. I began with reading The
Jungle and The Octopus as the primary texts. Last but not least, I combine all the
information that I have collected to be able to draw the conclusion.
Organization of the Thesis
The thesis consists of four chapters as a whole and is preceded by the
Acknowledgements, the Table of Contents, and the Abstract. Chapter One is the
Introduction, which consists of the Background of the Study, Statement of the
Problems, Purpose of the Study, Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis.
Chapter Two provides the Theoretical Framework of the Progressive Era. Chapter
Three provides a discussion on the issues of progressivism in the novel The Jungle.
Chapter Four provides the discussion on the issues of progressivism in the novel The
Octopus. After I finish the analysis, the thesis will arrive at the conclusion, which will
be put in Chapter Five. The thesis will end with the Bibliography and the Appendices
that consist of the Synopses of both novels and the Biographies of both authors.
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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed The Jungle and The Octopus, I conclude that both novels
share similar impression about the issues of Progressivism but have different methods
in solving the problems arising in that era. As what I have read in both novels, I think
that the existence of Progressivism is ambiguous since it is not clear whether it is
beneficial or not for the society.
Indeed, if I look once again at the word Progressivism, supposedly it refers to
a development, advancement, improvement, and forward movement to a better
condition of society. The word ‘better’ here means a corruption-free government, no
discrimination toward gender and social status, and no excessive exploitation of the
poor. Yet in fact, Progressivism does not entirely accomplish its purposes. What I see
here, Progressivism has become a camouflage to conceal moral degradation of
society in general. Society does not become better; instead, it continuously absorbs
the bad values caused by Progressivism, which makes the society get worse day by
day.
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Thus, I think Progressivism refers to a thought that there is something wrong
about the condition of American people’s lives and at the same time triggers some
people to put an attempt to fix it. Although the contribution of Progressivism seems
vague, in my opinion, it is a point when common people start to notice that their
morality is degrading bit by bit because of the malpractice of people with power and
money. This awareness makes people start to think of how to build a secure and
prosperous country but still able to cover the welfare of all people without harassing
people who belong to the lower class and to boost up their degrading morality; hence,
this Progressivism era results in the Government’s further act to make new
regulations and legislations to act as a police and limit people from doing harmful
things.
The Octopus describes about Progressivism even though the author is very
likely not aware of it. It is the very beginning era of Progressivism where the
problems start to occur one by one. The major problem that happens in the novel is
that many small wheat farmers have to suffer from bankruptcy due to malpractice of
power by the Railroad Company. Lack of Government interference worsens the
situation since there are no laws that can control the power of the Railroad Company.
As a result, people start to lose their faith for the Government to save their lives from
the excessive power of the Railroad and try to solve it by their own hands.
I perceive the way the farmers confront the Railroad Company as a
transformation to be one of a kind as the Railroad, and that is one of the issue we can
see at that time around. The farmers even use a dishonest way such bribery to have a
seat in the Railroad Commission Board. I can see how desperate the farmers are since
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they try to fight the Railroad by doing a bad thing like bribery. However, when the
Railroad Commission cannot help them either, they become mad and lose their mind
and thus, they confront the Railroad Company face to face. It is one proof that shows
how personality can change and their morality has degraded to be one of a kind as the
Capitalists.
In my opinion, the end of the story shows a pessimistic feeling since it looks
like everything is blamed on the nature of competition and survival; just like
Darwin’s theory: ‘Survival of the Fittest’; if you fit, you will survive or else be
eliminated. I also sense that people seem to have to adapt with whatever system or
value that they might have in their lives; however, I personally think that it is always
worth trying to fight for what you believe in.
Unlike the way people solve their problem in The Octopus, Upton Sinclair
offers a better idea in solving the problem except the problem of morality. I believe
that the major character, Jurgis, acts more carefully and thoughtfully in fighting the
Meat Packing Company after those misfortunes happen to him. I think that it is a
good idea since there is no way for powerless man like Jurgis to confront the
Company without any strategy and forbearance. Even when you point your gun to
someone’s head, it will be useless because in the end you are the one who will be
responsible. Jurgis once uses this way in asking for justice for his wife to her boss for
raping her and forcing her into prostitution, but what happens is Jurgis has to spend
three months in jail for assaulting; ironically, the boss gets away without any charges.
Compared to the wheat farmers in The Octopus, Jurgis looks more patient and
has more control over himself. I think it is maybe because Jurgis does not have any
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business interest like the wheat farmers. Jurgis just wants to protect his family; he just
wants to provide a better living for his family. However, the excessive power and
exploitation of workers ruin the oneness of the family. I think that in The Jungle, The
family value that is put in jeopardy.
Progressivism in The Jungle is more or less the same as The Octopus; it is a
vague movement of which the benefits seem vague. However, I sense a more
optimistic ending in The Jungle. People are made to believe that joining a union can
solve their problems since they think that unions can force the government down to
do some actions to protect their lives.
Last but not least, I think that the target of Progressivism may be
accomplished in some cases but still it fails in preventing the negative issues from
occurring in the society, especially in its time. Yet, with the Government’s
interference in limiting the power of the Capitalist, it is expected that the moral
degradation can be slowed down.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Texts:
Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. New York: Bantam Book, 1981.
Norris, Frank. The Octopus. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State
University, 2002.
References:
Datesman, Kearny, JoAnn Crandall, and Edward N. Kearny. The
American Ways. New York: Prentice Hall Regents, 1997.
O’Callaghan, Bryn. An Illustrated History of the USA. New York:
Longman Group, 1990.
Link, Arthur S., William B. Catton. American Epoch. New York: Alfred A.
Knopf, Inc., 1973.
Eagleton Institutes of Politics. Progressive Era. New Jersey: Eagleton
Institutes of Politics, 2004.
Internet Sites:
Feldmeth, Greg D. U.S. History Resources. 12 June
2007
MSN Encarta. 2007. United States (Economic). 05 July 2007
Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Capitalism. 13
September
2006
Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. Progressive Era. 13 September 2006