Similarities Between Frederick Douglass And Upton Sinclair

The writings of Frederick Douglass and Upton Sinclair provide examples the address the essential question, how does literature shape or reflect society? Cultural events and ethics provide inspiration for authors to discuss the political and social occurrences during this era. In his autobiography, Frederick Douglass, explains his yearning for freedom when he was a slave. Frederick Douglass was born a slave, escaped to freedom, and used the rest of his life to fight slavery. Frederick, as a child, is deprived of learning to read and write because his owner Mr.Auld told his other owner Mrs. Auld not to teach him. Frustrated Frederick tries to get little white playmates to teach him in exchange for biscuits. He talks to them about slavery and

The issue of slavery played a part in nearly everyone’s lives during this era. It was debated daily whether or not to keep the system. Adversely in the north, people had many other issues to deal with very few relating to slavery. In the north many people lived in cities. The people who lived in cities were quite poor and lived in slums. Other than the people who lived there, life in the city slums was unknown to most of America. Upton Sinclair author of the novel “The Jungle” had an intention to explore what life was really like in the cities. He takes a typical immigrant family and tells what their life is like. The man and the woman get married, live in a tiny tenement, and have dirty low paying jobs in the meatpacking plant. But the real surprise comes when Sinclair talks about the meatpacking plants. The jobs were hard, and “the family had firsthand knowledge of the great majority of packingtown swindles” (Sinclair 1). After his book was published a national uproar occurred. Not because of the life of immigrants but because of the dirty meat-packing industry. The book helped laws get passed so the meat would be healthy and not full of “little extras” that would poison the