Upton Sinclair was born September 20, 1878 in Baltimore. His father, an alcoholic, moved him and his family to New York in 1888. His family was very poor, but he spent a lot of time living with his grandparents (Simkin). “Upton Sinclair was a mid-20th century novelist and journalist known as a madman, whose books exposed the exploitation of the working class” (Rhode 1377). His difficult childhood ultimately transformed him into a socialist. Sinclair was very religious and loved literature (Simkin). At ten years old, he was inspired by Charles Dickens and became passionate about social justice. The English writer William Makepeace inspired him to hate pretension and hypocrisy (Rhode 1378). At fourteen, he attended New York City College (Simkin). His first novel was Prairie's Pirates, which Sinclair later admitted was similar to Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (Rhode 1378). During his studies, Sinclair financed his university studies by writing stories for magazines and newspapers. By age seventeen, he was earning enough to be able to move into an apartment and still support his parents on a decent income (Simkin). After two newspaper articles, he managed to sell enough copies to pay off his uncle's debt. Sinclair graduated from college in 1897 and worked for the Army and Navy Weekly Pamphlet (Simkin). In 1902, Upton married Meta Fuller. Sinclair had a child, David, in 1903. In 1904, the editor of a socialist newspaper commissioned Sinclair to write a book about immigrants who worked in Chicago's slaughterhouses. He was given $500 up front, and after seven weeks visiting the meatpacking industry and talking with workers, he wrote The Jungle, his most famous novel (Simkin). Of The Jungle, Sinclair said: "I aimed for... middle of paper... a liveliness and wit that appeals to many readers, Sinclair's historical novels are more enjoyable reading" (McEwen). Critics have criticized the conclusion of The Jungle, where the main character is inspired by the principles of socialism, as overly simplistic, edifying and unconvincing ("Explanation of: 'The Jungle' by Upton Sinclair"). "Despite these criticisms, The Jungle, with its harsh portrait of the American dream inaccessible to the working-class poor, is considered an important work in the tradition of the social novel" ("Explanation of: 'The Jungle' by Upton Sinclair" ). It is very likely that Sinclair is primarily remembered for The Jungle, but his other works will also attract the attention of those who wish to be informed about social issues and important events in modern history in a simple and straightforward manner. clarified (McEwen).