Oil! by Upton Sinclair
"Oil!" by Upton Sinclair is a significant work that explores the intricacies of the California oil boom through a narrative that blends personal and socio-political elements. Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, the novel serves as a critique of corporate greed and corruption, particularly reflecting the scandals of the Harding administration. Sinclair contrasts the experiences of two boys growing into adulthood with the harsh realities of laissez-faire capitalism, presenting a Bildungsroman that underscores the tensions between individual aspirations and systemic injustices.
The story not only delves into the lives of an oil magnate's family but also develops a diverse cast of characters, including independent operators and union leaders, showcasing their struggles against a powerful oil monopoly. Notable themes include the examination of economic warfare and the exploration of taboo subjects like birth control, which led to some censorship upon its release. The vibrant, energetic prose, infused with the slang of the Roaring Twenties, adds a dynamic quality to the narrative. "Oil!" is regarded as one of Sinclair's finest works, celebrated for its rich characterization and its reflection of broader societal issues, making it a compelling read for those interested in historical fiction that addresses enduring questions of capitalism and social justice.
Oil! by Upton Sinclair
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1927
Type of work: Novel
The Work
Oil! was to the California oil boom what The Jungle was to the Chicago stockyards: a chance for Sinclair to present, as he quipped, human nature laid bare. The first major American novel on the oil industry, this minor epic is a hard-nosed, hard-hitting docket of corporate machinations, in striking ways describing the United States today as much as during the Jazz Age. The Harding administration and the Teapot Dome scandals were the direct catalysts for Sinclair’s reformist passion, and his exposé of bribery, corruption, appalling industrial practices, and dog-eat-dog economic warfare had lost nothing of its edge decades later. However, unlike the unremitting squalor of Packingtown and its wage slaves, Oil! is set in sunny, breezy Southern California and narrated in a brisk and lively style punctuated up by the Roaring Twenties slang and jitterbug energy.
Through a coming-of-age (Bildungsroman) story of two boys (later young men), Sinclair contrasts the scorched-earth, laissez-faire capitalism with the romanticized universal panacea for proletarian suffrage—socialism. In an effort to eschew one-sidedness and stereotyping, the author not only focuses on the family of an oil magnate but also takes pains to develop members of the Ross household as full characters with their own principles, troubles, and even virtues. Although the novel was censured and even censored for references to birth control, its real focus is independent operators struggling against the oil monopoly. Against the background of the first two and one-half decades of the century, punctuated by the turmoil of World War I, the book climaxes with Paul’s death, leaving Bunny a wiser, though not necessarily fully matured, hero.
Widely regarded as one of Sinclair’s best works, Oil! contains many autobiographical elements, such as Bunny’s failed efforts at establishing a socialist commune. Descriptions of corporate greed and venality of the media on one hand, and taboo subjects such as abortion and birth control on the other, give this racy and colorful work the sweep of a hot-off-the-press best seller. Between oil tycoons, bankers, independent developers, union and strike leaders, oilfield workers (not all of them admirable), Bolsheviks, silent-era Hollywood stars, characters from the automobile and youth culture, and even a fire-and-brimstone evangelist, Oil! has the kind of flair that would enhance Sinclair’s reputation in American literature.
Bibliography
Bloodworth, William A. Upton Sinclair. Boston: Twayne, 1977.
Bloom, Harold. Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle.” Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2002.
Harris, Leon. Upton Sinclair: An American Rebel. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1975.
Mookerjee, Babindra Nath. Art for Social Justice: The Major Novels of Upton Sinclair. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1988.
Sinclair, Upton. The Autobiography of Upton Sinclair. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1962.
Sinclair, Upton. I, Candidate for Governor and How I Got Licked. 1935. Reprint. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994.
Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle: The Uncensored Original Edition. With an introduction by Kathleen De Grave. Tucson, Ariz.: Sharp Press, 2003.
Yoder, Jon A. Upton Sinclair. New York: Ungar, 1975.