Upton Sinclair’s novels are a classical example of
melodrama. They tell the same basic story again and again, acting as a
manifesto of sorts. They present the reality that Sinclair wants his audience
to acknowledge: the evil (most often capitalists) exploiting the common people
or the workers. His novels can be related in a way to the Communist Manifesto,
though instead of supporting communism, Sinclair advocates for socialism in the
United States. Sinclair’s novels, such as The
Jungle, are particularly melodramatic in their style. As novels, they are
able to manipulate their audience with a specific, detailed, and most
importantly emotional, yet fictional account. People enjoy reading fiction
because it is easy to sympathize with the characters. It is easy to understand
their struggles and relate to their pain. This makes fiction and melodrama
closely related. Sinclair’s stories make the audience sympathize with the
working class, which is exactly how they will decide to support a cause.
Bachelder’s novel uses Sinclair as a character who is
constantly resurrected and then assassinated. When people need his help or
expertise, they resurrect him. However, there is a large group of people who
oppose socialism and hate Sinclair, and several different people have
assassinated him throughout the years. Bachelder presents a continuing
(arguably hopeless) struggle to bring socialism to the US, with Sinclair as its
leader. Part two of the novel gives what I think is the most obvious
relationship between Sinclair and Bachelder. Up to this point, Bachelder has
largely been making fun of Sinclair, criticizing his writing and presenting him
as insignificant in today’s society. However, part two of the novel tells a
more personal story that gives the audience a better view of his character. In
this story, Sinclair is tricked into selling five hundred copies of his new novel
to a book burning. He wants to attend the book burning, thinking it is a
celebration in his honor, and of course several people are preparing to
assassinate him when he arrives. However, the young boy who arranges the book
burning has a complete change of heart after reading the novel. He becomes
Sinclair’s ideal audience: someone who recognizes the injustice in the world
and wants to change it. Though Sinclair’s books are burned, he escapes the
ordeal unharmed. This longer story amidst the parody of Sinclair presents him
as someone who does still serve a purpose. The desire for justice will never
become unrelatable. Though it may change its purpose, justice will always need
those people who are unafraid to demand change.
Bachelder uses melodrama in his novel in some of the same
ways that Sinclair does. He portrays a good and evil (Socialists vs.
anti-Socialists, Sinclair vs. his assassins), and the novel is a sort of
continuing struggle for Sinclair, though not always in a strictly linear
fashion. However, Bachelder also structures his novel as a parody, which makes
it melodramatic in a different way. It not only offers the added humor that
makes the reader want to continue reading, but it also intensifies the
melodrama already present. It makes the good more good, and the evil more evil,
while still allowing the reader to judge the characters on their own. It
becomes a more evolved type of melodrama, a suggestion to the audience instead
of a demand.
