
In this searing investigation the narrator shines a light on the garment factories of a great Midwestern city, where half‑a‑million laborers—most of them women—work ten‑hour days for pennies. Detailed statistics reveal a system that pays less than a dollar a week while owners reap profits that dwarf the workers’ modest earnings. The opening frames a stark contrast between the wealth of a few industrial princes and the daily hardship of the many.
Beyond the raw data, the work draws bold parallels with historic uprisings, arguing that when a handful hoard a nation’s riches, the rest are forced to choose between demanding rights or facing starvation. It invites listeners to imagine a society where the means of production are a collective resource rather than a private monopoly, making the call for change both a moral imperative and a practical challenge.
Language
fi
Duration
~26 minutes (25K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2016-12-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1878–1968
Best known for writing The Jungle, he used fiction as a tool for reform, turning outrage over social injustice into page-turning stories. His work helped expose the brutal realities of industrial America and made him one of the most influential muckraking writers of his era.
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