The Jungle 3
The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, clearly depicts the socio-economic strife and political turpitude that ushered America into the 20th century. While telling the story of Lithuanian immigrants struggling to survive in Chicago, Sinclair illustrates how avarice and ruthless competition were driving forces in the exploitational predatory capitalist ³jungle² of American ³society² at the turn of the century. This radical novel, described as muckraking by President Theodore Roosevelt, was a sounding board for pro-socialist politics. Sinclairıs polemic drama begins in the back room of a Chicago saloon. The guests are drunk and drained. The prospect of returning to the rigorous labors of the stockyards right after the ceremony leaves them demoralized. Jurgis Rudkus, however, the main character, refuses to succumb to the suffering of the multitudes in Packingtown, a predominantly immigrant community in Chicago. He promises to work harder; he wants to achieve the American dream. After pooling the familyıs resources, Jurgis is able to leave a dilapidated lodge-house for a ³new² modest home (which had hidden costs) where his family would reside. When Dede Antanas, Jurgisı father, loses his job and is forced to kick
The Jungle helps us understand the industrial revolution from the personal disadvantaged view of the proletariat. It is an expose of many ills, including specifically, vile practices of the meat-packing industry. Of his own work, Sinclair reported, ³I wish to frighten the country by a picture of what its industrial masters were doing to their victims; entirely by chance I stumbled on another discovery - what they were doing to the meat supply of the civilized world. In other words, I aimed at the publicıs heart, and by accident, I hit it in the stomach.² Sinclair reported that unions were no match for the capitalist organizations and the workers were ignorant of their own best interests. The businesses took advantage by cannibalizing the strong workers and discarding the weak. The entire political machine is exposed as corrupt and impersonal, taking no responsibility for the workers. Just as Uncle Tomıs Cabin exposed evils of slavery, Sinclair poignantly demonstrates that workers were slaves to the whims of their capitalist masters and that immigrants, ignorant of the language, ways and means, were the most vulnerable to the capitalist trap. Vexed by the working conditions of Packingtown, Jurgis joins a labor union where he begins to learn English. He develops a cynical attitude towards democracy. Eventually, the deteriorating working conditions, sickness and despair make life too depressing for Jurgis. He discovers that his wife was pressured into sleeping with her boss, and that the second child she is carrying is not his. Jurgis attacks her boss, and lands in jail. His wife dies, his baby dies. He gets released from jail, only t
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Approximate Word count = 1118
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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