The Jungle

Reading through Upton Sinclair's The Jungle has really made me think. While I'm well aware of his socialistic intentions, I can't repress the anguish I feel for this poor immigrant family. They've tried everything to make ends meet, all they dreamt of was a better life for themselves and future generations - yet at every turn one tragic outcome outdoes the last. I'm torn between two thoughts: has Sinclair really overstepped his boundaries and painted too dark a picture? Or is this the truth from a man who lived in the slums himself and saw how the "other half" lives? I live in a comfortable home in which the only worries I have are skipping a meal or preparing for a test. Can I judge their circumstances when I will most likely never face even a fraction of their troubles? This makes me want to start a ministry somewhere in the city, or open a home in the country where less privileged folks can turn in.
On the other hand, I find it somewhat amusing to look at this book's goal from Sinclair's perspective: his idea was to turn capitalism on its head and draw the majority to his solution, socialism. While most everyone overlooked the Rudkus family in favor of sausage reform, there are some who saw the real point of his book. And yet it still failed to accomplish his goal. When I read about the factory overseers and upperclassmen, what I see are horrendous examples of thievery and cheating, with a capitalistic coverup. Sinclair's view of capitalism is twisted, just like his view of Christianity - it's murky and people only use it when it suits their needs. He's only looking at a small percentage of the real problem: worldview. If the people's hearts are in the wrong place, of course they'll seek to fill it with something else, money and trickery. Sinclair and his characters don't need socialism - they need Light. Until that piece is in place, the puzzle won't ever work.