Upton Sinclair`s The Flivver King

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Upton Sinclair`s The Flivver King

The Great Depression in of 1929 still remains in the world 's memory as one of the most devastating events not only in the United States Economy . Its echoing impact around the world challenged economic liberalism and gave rise to Keynesian economics . Upton Sinclair , in his book The Flivver King , points out that the Great Depression also created the stage for social injustice and labor abuse in the United States (158 . Sinclair describes that unwise monetary policies and the economic

manipulation of big businesses is the reason why the economy burst on itself : its rapid and uncontrolled expansion collapsing because of the lack of fiscal and monetary policies to support its growth . The debt level , inflation , decline in trade and money supply issues drove the US economy to its limits , just like a balloon with too much air (28 - 32

Sinclair 's two main characters , Henry Ford and Abner Shutt , provide the perspective of businesses and workers on how the Great Depression changed the landscape labor and employment . Sinclair early on establishes that the relationship between Ford is not just is not just one of boss and employee . The first scene where the two are mentioned related how the young Shutt informed his mother of "a feller down the street says he 's goin ' to make a wagon that 'll run without a hoss (4 The anecdote reflects not just the awe and drive of American industrialization but also the classic American Dream

The book 's treatment of the Great depression and the rise unionization is covers a significant number of years in American history . It starts with the growth of industrialization and capitalism in the country to the capital crisis in the 1930 's . Sinclair reflects how America as land of opportunity became more a place for cutthroat competition . The ramifications of the World War I to Americans , migration of labor and the decline of the United Kingdom and Europe in world economics were also important factors considered in the course of the book

The Flivver King is a deliberate effort to promote unionization Therefore , the work should be seen in the context of its motivation Even the popularity of its book has been more due to the efforts of the United Auto Workers rather than conscious and active by those who first acquired it in 1937 . The book is a critique on Henry Ford 's life , his role in American society and his visions for the future of the America Ford is used to symbolize the aspirations and dreams of a young nation struggling to establish itself on the world but also represents the distortion of the same dreams and aspirations

The government sponsored New Deal addressed what the government saw as the excessive influence and liberalness of the business sector the led to the Great Depression . In effect , the government tried to rein in the runaway US economy by implementing stringent fiscal and monetary controls on it...