The Jungle - 1075 Words

The Jungle Essay nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;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  ³jungle ² of American  ³society ² at the turn of the century. This radical novel, described as muckraking by President Theodore Roosevelt, was a sounding board for pro-socialist politics. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Sinclair ¹s polemic drama begins in the back room of a Chicago saloon. The guests are drunk and drained. The prospect of returning to the†¦show more content†¦The elections were rigged by industrialists and Mafia with the workers generally losing. Sinclair illustrated this, for example, when Jurgis sought citizenship. Jurgis was obliged to vote for a local boss, Mike Scully. He became a citizen in exchange for two dollars plus two hours off work with pay. He became an undercover operator for that boss, taking bribes from his underlings and beating up strikers. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;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 Tom ¹s 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. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The themes of The Jungle also have parallelism to themes of science at the time, in particular, the naturalist movement espoused by Emile Zola, and the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin. Just as Zola focused on how environment shapes the lives of the individual, Sinclair evinces that the downfall of his characters, and particularly theirShow MoreRelatedThe Jungle1982 Words   |  8 PagesRunning Head: THE JUNGLE The Jungle [Writer Name] [Institute Name] The Jungle Thesis Statement In this novel Upton Sinclair shows the problems of working class people. His believe in and contempt for capitalism as described in this story â€Å"The Jungle†. The writer explains capitalism in which the labor communities were treated very badly and to survive in the conditions of poverty. The novel rotates around the family of a character Jurgis Rudkus who have immigrated to America from Lithuania. AsRead MoreThe Jungle Analysis1641 Words   |  7 PagesCorruption, lies, adultery, politics, and death are all topics addressed in Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle. The book reveals the atrocities that occurred during the early 1900’s in Chicago’s cruel and disgusting meatpacking district. The Jungle chronicles the struggle of a Lithuanian family that came to America with dreams of making their riches and passing it on to their descendants. Analysis of the novel reveals a recurring theme of how desperation makes people do horrible things such asRead More The Jungle Essay774 Words   |  4 Pages The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclairs The Jungle is the tale of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, and his family. Jurgis and his family move to the United States in the middle of the Industrial Revolution, only to find themselves ill-equipped for the transition in the workplace and in society in general. Jurgis faces countless social injustices, and through a series of such interactions, the theme of the book is revealed: the support of socialism over capitalism as an economic andRead MoreEssay On The Jungle Of Mystery751 Words   |  4 PagesDrew Meyer Taler’s Adventure Once upon a time, there was a tiger named Taler who lived in the Jungle of Mystery. The Jungle of Mystery has flowers of many colors. Taler really liked the blue flowers that grew alongside the cliff. That cliff looked over the waterfall. Her sister, Tara, said, â€Å"Now Taler, do not go near that cliff.† Taler heard what her sister said, but she did it anyway, and everyday Taler would get closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. â€Å"Now Taler, do not go near that cliffRead MoreThe Irony of the Jungle1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe Irony of The Jungle Between 1870 and 1900 Chicago grew from a population of 299,000 to almost 1.7 million, the fastest-growing city ever at the time. This surge in population was largely attributed to immigrants coming from European countries seeking a chance for employment and new freedoms associated with moving to the United States at the time. 1905, in particular, was a historic year when a surge of over 1 million immigrants came to the city. During this time, author Upton SinclairRead MoreDisillusionment In The Jungle1399 Words   |  6 PagesIn the politically righteous book, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, a newly wed’s feeling of innocence and happiness after their beautiful wedding in their homeland come to an end following the reality of discovering their new life in America. The notion comes from the disillusionment of American freedom and the twisted advertisement of a capitalist system. America was systematically built to be corrupt and dehumanized the significance of individual existence. This was done by easily replacing, deceivingRead MoreThe Jungle Essay1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe Jungle Throughout Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, the inhumane and disgusting treatment the working men and women was shown to the eyes of the American people. Although what the book is most recognized for is creating the Pure Food and Drug Act, an act that gave consumers protection from dangerous and impure foods, the many various horrors the lower working class had to go through was something that deserved more recognition. Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, gives an insight on howRead More the jungle Essay1116 Words   |  5 PagesSinclair found the setting of the book that would bring him to fame. He first won recognition by the jungle in 1906. This book is a powerful realistic study of social conditions in the stockyards and packing plants of Chicago. It aided in the passing of pure food laws. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This novel illustrates how greed and ruthless competition has made the turn of the century into a ruthless jungle. â€Å"Take or be Taken† was the guiding rule, and everyone was someone else’s prey. The meatpackingRead More The Jungle Essay478 Words   |  2 Pages The Jungle By: Upton Sinclair The story opens with the feast at Jurgis and Ona’s wedding in America, but soon flashes back to the time before they left Lithuania. Jurgis met Ona at a horse fair, and fell in love with her. Unfortunately, they were too poor to have a wedding, since Ona’s father just died. In the hopes of finding freedom and fortune, they left for America, bringing many members of Ona’s family with them. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During time in America, Jurgis and his wifeRead MoreThe Jungle and In the Waiting Room1545 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s world immigration and emigration has vastly increased. With these increased movements around the world, the lack of communication creates many consequences. Without a language in common the attempt at communication is a difficult process. In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair explores the consequences of language barriers through a new immigrant family. The Lithuanian family do not have the language skills required for their new life in America and everyday life is a struggle. The problems that rise from