The book is absolutely a product of its time in many ways, especially with its inability to foresee the rise of Stalinism and New Deal Politics, as well as a fairly racist comparison of Jazz music to the drum beats of the Congo. Most of all, it seems history does not mention much of the Teapot Dome Scandal, the allied intervention and Czech brigade in the Russian Civil War, and the first red scare in the US. It more than has its fair share of subtle wit and sarcasm that Sinclair seems to enjoy. The depiction of California from 1900s-1927, roughly, shapes it to be a sort of West Coast Great Gatsby in its depiction of the wealthy elite contrasted with the rest of society, with a notable lack of any symbolism whatsoever. Bunny not only does NOT go deaf, but the book focuses entirely on him and the confusion that youth brings upon going out into the world and being confronted with conflicting ideologies and opposing loyalties. Arnold Ross actually remains a loving, if corrupt businessman, father toward his son bunny even up to his death at the end of the book. While most people are familiar with the movie There Will be Blood, which is amazing in its own right, the plot only covers the first few chapters and really only loosely borrows the setting and character names. I just finished reading his book Oil!, which I cannot recommend enough. TL DR: The Jungle and Oil! are excellent glimpses into Gilded Age and Jazz Age America, but the writing is so different from others of the time in both good and bad ways.
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