Emma Hochberg
The Virtue of Liberty in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle: The Pursuit of Labor Rights through Journalism
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is an urban fiction novel set in the backdrop of 20th century industrialization based on true accounts of Sinclair’s seven weeks spent undercover in Chicago’s stockyards and packinghouses. It is widely regarded as a prime example of muckraking journalism, which aims to expose truths hidden from the public in order to inspire reform. The themes of liberty in The Jungle are twofold, manifesting through both the journalistic pursuit of the truth and the advocation of labor rights.
Through their writings, journalists act as a ”Fourth Estate” that monitors the power of different actors in society. Their pursuit of the truth moves society away from ignorance and challenges the public to make more informed decisions that advance their well-being. Sinclair’s obligation to the truth informed the masses on labor violations and directly led to reform.
A core tenet of liberty is to be free from oppressive restrictions, which is exactly what Sinclair calls for in his message of advocating for labor rights. The book was a catalyst for labor rights movements eventually culminating in the 1935 National Labor Rights Act, securing liberty by establishing higher labor standards, essentially increasing the bargaining power of workers.
--Emma Hochberg ‘26
Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/257454
A version of this text has been digitized and is available through the Internet Archive.