In February 1906, Upton Sinclair would write and publish his fictional novel The Jungle. This book, which was intended to focus on the exploited workers in the meat industry would depict the unsanitary conditions for a mere 10 pages. Missing the point of the novel, Americans were disgusted by the conditions of the packing plants, rather than outrage at the mistreatment of the workers at these plants (Kauffman). The Jungle spurred new legislation, but this legislation wasn’t the first that called for such standards. In 1641, the Massachusetts Colony had passed the Meat and Fish Inspection document which prohibited selling “diseased, corrupted, contagious or unwholesome provisions” (Massachusetts Act against Selling Unwholesome Provisions).
Upton Sinclair portrays the economic tension in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through his novel “The Jungle”. He used the story of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, to show the harsh situation that immigrants had to face in the United States, the unsanitary and unsafe working conditions in the meatpacking plants, as well as the tension between the capitalism and socialism in the United States during the early 1900s. In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, there were massive immigrants move into the United States, and most of them were from Europe. The protagonist, Jurgis Rudkus, like many other immigrants, have the “America Dream” which they believe America is heaven to them, where they can
Even through things might not happen as bad as once was but still it happens today where and how we slaughter the animals are not always done in a sanitary way. In the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan also talks about slaughterhouse in the United States in chapter twelve. He mentions how the slaughterhouse that he visited made sure that there killing was clean because the buyer could come and watch them kill the animal. They then discuss that they how most factories don’t have people that allow to see them kill the animals.
Chapter 8 from the reading describes the working condition of the slaughterhouse. The meatpacking was known for the most dangerous job in America. People worked in the poor working condition where knives and machines can cut through their shiny steel armor. There are no windows, workers standing in the river of blood, drenched in blood, and women facing sexual harassment. The cleaning crew cleans the plant with a high-pressure hose that shoots a mixture of water and chlorine heated to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the article, “Is It Possible to be a Conscientious Meat Eater”, the authors argue that processed meat can greatly affect the many things in our everyday life. Sunaura and Alexander’s argument is significantly unreliable because of the certain professions both authors yield. As stated in the article “Sunaura is an artist, writer, and activist in Oakland.” “Alexander’s profession is studying philosophy, and ethics in Athens, Georgia.” This shows that neither of them are qualified to argue in the subject of conscientious meat eaters.
The meat industry likes to portray to the consumers happy farm animals grazing in fields, having happy lives, and long futures: however, nothing could be further from the truth. Every second innocent animals are being sent to slaughterhouses to be killed in such cruel and inhumane ways. The torture that goes down in slaughterhouses is something the meat industry does not want the consumers to find out. Farm animals that go to slaughterhouses are beaten, broiled, and dismembered alive by impatient, careless workers. Employees at slaughterhouses need to be immediately stopped.
The meat industry is one of the largest industries in the world, however, it is one of the leading cause of millions of illnesses and deaths every year. Because inspecting meat for foodborne pathogens is a costly, timely and difficult task, meat companies are willing to barely meet the government 's standards in order to save money. This behavior is unacceptable because millions of people are getting sick every year from tainted meats. The longer the country continues its ignorance about the meat industry, the worse the conditions are going to become. The only way to improve conditions is to have transparency within the industries.
2015: A promising year, full of opportunities, though less than 3 months away from coming to a close. Not more than 100 years ago, things were not the same as they exist now. Major problems were faced in eras such as the Progressive Era. Such problems that people faced back then were women’s suffrage, child labor, and deforestation. If I was born in the generation where I had where to choose where to place $1,000,000 to certain cause, I would give it to the three things I have stated.
Amelia Keany ACBS 160D1 10/4/15 Do Slaughterhouse Animals Lives Matter? The treatment of animals in slaughterhouses has been an ongoing controversy in the United States. Animal protection organizations and animal activists have continuously voiced their disapproval of the treatment of animals in factory farms and in doing so; have shined a light on the harsh realities of these environments. While it may not be a surprise that an animal activist would want to spend their time fighting for the rights of animals, even the lives of those intended to be cut short.
Bleak Consequences of Factory Farming In the U.S., four companies control the meat industry; killing 81% of cows, 73% of sheep, 57% of pigs, and produce 50% of the nation’s chickens. (Testimony by Leland Swenson, president of the U.S. National Farmers’ Union, before the House Judiciary Committee, September 12, 2000). Factory farm practices are not humane: not for the environment and certainly not for the animals.
DDT polluted the air and damaged many necessary factors of life. During the meatpacking reforms, workers had first-hand knowledge of packaging swindles. All of the information that Upton Sinclair received was based on immigrant workers’ experience. Spoiled meat was canned or turned into sausage.
America in the early 1900’s was an explosion of industrialism, with poverty on its heels. From a distance, America appeared as a magnificent wonderland filled with amazing opportunities. However, as many immigrants soon discovered, America was not the magical kingdom it was made out to be. With levels of poverty and disease rising, and unsafe workplaces widespread, America was built on pillars of corruption and muck. Upton Sinclair shared these beliefs, and in 1906 he decided to help open the eyes of the American public to the horrors behind closed factory doors by publishing his book, The Jungle.
In addition, Upton Sinclair published, The Jungle (1906), in attempt to unveil the appalling exploitation of (immigrants) workers in the meat packing industry, which contributed greatly to the socialist movement, also led to the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act passed in 1906 (The American Yawp, Ch.20-2). Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair exposed of the ghastly surroundings and situations strengthened the support for the progressivism evolution. Another reason for the advancement of progressive era is faith/religion, the emerged of the social gospel. The social gospel “…emphasized the need for Christians to be concerned
For a majority of the outside world, the United States of America was more than just a country. Many people from Europe, Asia and all over would do just about anything for the opportunity to move to America and pursue the well-known “American Dream”. Many foreigners immigrated to America with hope that the American Dream would allow them to work towards a successful career. However, in the early 1900’s this dream was far out of reach for most. Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle, depicts the harsh environment and conditions of the Chicago meat packing industry as well as the amount of working class poverty.
During the time period of the 1900’s, the meat packaging industry in Chicago, as Sinclair mentions in his novel, The Jungle, was a very unsanitary and extremely dangerous workplace that lacked much more than just a few safety precautions. Simple things, such as enforcing hand washing or workers’ rights were unheard of in the working environment. It is clear that Upton Sinclair was trying to expose the worker’s horrendous labor conditions in order to improve their situation, along with the introduction of socialism. Upton Sinclair, in his novel, talks about how a Lithuanian immigrant by the name of Jurgis Rudkus, and his family, travel to Chicago trying to make ends meet. However, they soon realize Chicago was not the place for that.