This edition had all images removed.

Title: The Second-Story Man

Note: Reading ease score: 96.4 (5th grade). Very easy to read.

Credits: Text file produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading team
HTML file produced by David Widger

Summary: "The Second-Story Man" by Upton Sinclair is a dramatic play written in the early 20th century. This work falls within the genre of social commentary and crime fiction, exploring the harsh realities and injustices faced by the working class. The narrative centers around a man turned criminal, reflecting broader themes of exploitation and moral accountability in a capitalist society. The story unfolds in a luxurious home where Jim Faraday, a desperate and disillusioned burglar, breaks in, hoping to find something to eat. He encounters Helen Austin, the wife of a smooth-talking lawyer, Harvey Austin, who represents the steel company that exploited Jim and drove him to crime through their unscrupulous practices. As Jim shares his tragic backstory—how he lost his family due to the negligence of the company and its lawyers—Helen realizes the depth of her husband's complicity in the system that perpetuates such suffering. A confrontation ensues, highlighting the moral decay of the affluent at the expense of the vulnerable. Ultimately, Jim leaves, having addressed his pain while Helen is left grappling with her husband's role in the very evils she wished to condemn. The play poignantly critiques social injustices and reveals the personal toll of corporate greed. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Author: Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968

EBook No.: 3302

Published: Jul 1, 2002

Downloads: 114

Language: English

Subject: American drama -- 20th century

LoCC: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature

Category: Text

Rights: Public domain in the USA.

This edition has images.

Title: The Second-Story Man

Note: Reading ease score: 96.4 (5th grade). Very easy to read.

Credits: Text file produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading team
HTML file produced by David Widger

Summary: "The Second-Story Man" by Upton Sinclair is a dramatic play written in the early 20th century. This work falls within the genre of social commentary and crime fiction, exploring the harsh realities and injustices faced by the working class. The narrative centers around a man turned criminal, reflecting broader themes of exploitation and moral accountability in a capitalist society. The story unfolds in a luxurious home where Jim Faraday, a desperate and disillusioned burglar, breaks in, hoping to find something to eat. He encounters Helen Austin, the wife of a smooth-talking lawyer, Harvey Austin, who represents the steel company that exploited Jim and drove him to crime through their unscrupulous practices. As Jim shares his tragic backstory—how he lost his family due to the negligence of the company and its lawyers—Helen realizes the depth of her husband's complicity in the system that perpetuates such suffering. A confrontation ensues, highlighting the moral decay of the affluent at the expense of the vulnerable. Ultimately, Jim leaves, having addressed his pain while Helen is left grappling with her husband's role in the very evils she wished to condemn. The play poignantly critiques social injustices and reveals the personal toll of corporate greed. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Author: Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968

EBook No.: 3302

Published: Jul 1, 2002

Downloads: 114

Language: English

Subject: American drama -- 20th century

LoCC: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature

Category: Text

Rights: Public domain in the USA.