Author |
Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968 |
Title |
The Machine
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Note |
Reading ease score: 87.3 (6th grade). Easy to read.
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Credits |
Produced by Charles Franks, the Online Distributed Proofreading team, and David Widger
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Summary |
"The Machine" by Upton Sinclair is a dramatic play written in the early 20th century. The narrative unfolds around the corrupt intermingling of business, politics, and socio-economic struggles in early 20th-century America, focusing on characters involved in the traction industry and their moral dilemmas. Central to this exploration are Julia Patterson, a magazine writer and social reformer, and Laura Hegan, the daughter of a powerful traction king, who grapples with her family's wealth and the resulting societal implications. The opening of the play introduces us to Julia Patterson's modest apartment, where she engages in conversation with Jack Bullen, a socialist activist. They discuss class struggles and the plight of the working class, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of corruption and social injustice. Laura Hegan arrives, and through dialogue, we learn about her charitable inclinations despite her father's dubious dealings in the traction business. Tension arises as Laura's awareness of her father's involvement in corrupt practices grows, particularly related to the impending decision of the Court of Appeals on a significant railroad case. This initial portion establishes a dramatic framework of impending conflict as characters navigate their moral beliefs against the backdrop of a corrupt political machine. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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Language |
English |
LoC Class |
PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
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Subject |
American drama -- 20th century
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Subject |
New York (N.Y.) -- Drama
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Subject |
Socialists -- Drama
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Subject |
Political corruption -- Drama
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Subject |
Tammany Hall -- Drama
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Category |
Text |
EBook-No. |
3304 |
Release Date |
Jul 1, 2002 |
Most Recently Updated |
Jan 21, 2013 |
Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
Downloads |
88 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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