100 pages • 3 hours read
Upton SinclairA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapters 1-3
Chapters 4-6
Chapters 7-9
Chapters 10-12
Chapters 13-15
Chapters 16-18
Chapters 19-21
Chapters 22-24
Chapters 25-27
Chapters 28-30
Chapters 31-33
Chapters 34-36
Chapters 37-39
Chapters 40-42
Chapters 43-45
Chapters 46-48
Chapters 49-51
Chapters 52-54
Chapters 55-57
Chapters 58-60
Chapters 61-63
Chapters 64-66
Chapters 67-69
Chapters 70-72
Chapters 73-75
Chapters 76-78
Chapters 79-81
Chapters 82-84
Chapters 85-92
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Abner goes to work and becomes “a cog in a machine which had been conceived in the brain of Henry Ford, and was now in process of incubation. [...] [Ford] was going to do the thinking, not merely for himself, but for Abner—and this was something which suited Abner perfectly” (25). The foreman shows Abner what to do, and the routine nature of the work appeals to Abner.
The plant where Abner works assembles six cars a day, an unheard-of number, out of parts that have been made elsewhere. The general manager divides the task of assembly into parts “sufficient to occupy ten hours of a workingman’s time, moving as fast as he could be pushed” (26). Abner’s task is to bring two wheels at a time from a shed and attach each to the axle. Attaching the wheels properly requires care and attention, and Abner’s familiarity with attaching and detaching bicycle wheels enables him to learn the job quickly. He shows his enthusiasm by working quickly, and that pace becomes the norm: “if ever he fell behind, there would be dark looks and stern questions” (27).
Next, Abner learns to install the warning bell, the lantern, and the cushioned seats on the car.