Question

Which of these is an example of muckraking disguised as a work of fiction?

A Century of Dishonor and Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson
The History of the Standard Oil Company by Ida Tarbell
The Octopus by Frank Norris
The Red Record by Ida B. Wells

Answer 1

An example of muckraking disguised as a work of fiction is “The Octopus” by Frank Norris, which is a critique of the railroad industry's monopoly.

Step-by-step explanation:

An example of muckraking disguised as a work of fiction would be “The Octopus” by Frank Norris. This novel is a thinly veiled critique of the monopolistic practices of the railroad industry, much like how Ida Tarbell's reportage covered Standard Oil's monopoly.

However, Tarbell's work, though impactful in the muckraker movement, was non-fiction. Norris's novel was one of the early examples wherein a muckraker used a fictional narrative to shine a light on and challenge societal issues, thereby embodying the muckraking spirit through creative storytelling to reach and influence a broad audience.