The Jungle by Upton Sinclair | Chapter 1

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Chapter 1 of Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle.

Download the free study guide and infographic for The Jungle here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Ju...

Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle details the horrendous conditions endured by the American immigrant working class in the early 20th century.

Jurgis Rudkis, a Lithuanian immigrant, moves with his family to Chicago, where he finds work at a meatpacking plant. As The Jungle unfolds, however, the family is slowly destroyed by the evils of capitalism, as Packingtown affects each of them differently.

He marries his fiancée Ona in a lavish traditional ceremony that depletes the family's savings. When illness and death strike the family, it becomes apparent that their meager nest egg will be insufficient to support them.

Ona turns to prostitution and Jurgis is imprisoned when he assaults the man who has been exploiting her. She later dies in childbirth and Jurgis must support his remaining relatives through a series of other low-paying, menial jobs.

He eventually turns to an itinerant existence and ultimately finds solace in the nascent socialist movement of the time.

Socialist Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle was first published in 1906. Seeking to expose the terrible working conditions of immigrants, Sinclair went undercover in Chicago's meatpacking district in 1904. Using this firsthand knowledge, Sinclair self-published The Jungle to widespread acclaim and outrage that helped inspire a meat inspection law and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

The novel The Jungle contains many important themes, including capitalism, as Sinclair saw capitalism as the root of all evil; the futility of trying, as no matter how hardworking and honest immigrants are, they remain poor and oppressed; and the American dream, as Jurgis and his family come to America naively and become disenchanted after horrific losses.

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