# 103: Writing Change
Story behind the Passage
Upton Sinclair was a muckraker — one of the investigative journalists in the 20th century who uncovered social evils, especially in the economic sphere. I wish I had never read this book and others from the period. Not, because I did not like them. I loved these books because they were written by journalists who really made a difference. Maybe I should have followed this path right away. Maybe not. Sinclair left a legacy with his writing.
The Jungle is about the meatpacking industry. It is about the Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis and his family. The book uncovers all the dirty details about a corrupt and cruel industry. Sinclair did his research on site in Chicago. The book made him famous at once. As I just read now, it was already translated into German in the year of its original publication.
Obviously, social evils are global.
My Learnings
“You don’t have to be satisfied with America as you find it. You can change it…” There is no doubt that many people are not satisfied with America nowadays. The question is whether anybody believes that this can be changed. Of course, it does not matter what one believes in or not. Or maybe it does. In any case, I was struck by this first line in the short bio.
I do not think much about changing the U.S. these days. There are many other people who care about this. What I think about is writing. Can writing really make a difference anymore? I am sure Sinclair made a difference — not just because he published so many works but especially because his work was actually read by so many people. This is not self-evident.
When looking at the role of writing nowadays, I am quite confused. Actually, there is no “text” anymore, there is just “content.” Content without context, I would say. But that is not fair, of course. For sure, there is much quality journalism left. I just wonder if the people still understand it. I mean, the “intellectuals” who read highly intellectual papers might still be able to contextualize all this. But all the others who hardly manage to read a full page probably struggle with the deep meaning of quality writing.
I never believed I would ever start doubting the power of real journalism. I always believed in the potential of writing to change the world. There is hardly any more direct way to speak directly to individuals. But now that anybody can write anything and publish it on some platform (yes, my blog is doing this as well), the real meaning of writing is getting lost. Since we all know that much news is fake news, we do not even bother that much to trust any writing. How can writing still change the world if all this is so wrong, so superficial, so very dumb?
When I just went through the book again to find a passage that spoke to me, I also saw the one below. It is not related to the first one about Sinclair in the book. I still have to mention it as well. It is beautiful. And I do see a connection to the quote by Sinclair above. Writing to me is a way to break barriers, to look inside black boxes, to truly see what is behind bars. Sinclair did this in his writing. I am not sure if I will ever be able to do it. I first have to find out whether I am the woman behind bars or the one outside.
“There is one kind of prison where the man is behind bars, and everything that he desires is outside, and there is another kind where the things are behind the bars, and the man is outside.” — Sinclair 301
Reflection Questions
1) Do you think writing can change anything?
2) Does investigative journalism still play a role in the digital media landscape?
3) Is there any situation in your life that equals a prison?