Book Report : ' The Jungle '

The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair was a very touching and motivating story. Sinclair aimed for our hearts, but instead, he hit our stomachs. The Jungle is a story of hardships and trouble, some successes and many failures as a family tries to achieve the "American Dream." In this book, "The Jurgis Ruckus' myth of failure is the other side of the Horatio Alger's myth of success." (xxvi)

There were a few points in this book that taught me about life and how crazy it can be sometimes. The photographer named Fulgencio was very afraid of hitch hiking to Mexico City with a stranger, especially with all of us expensive equipment. On the ride, Fulgencio is so paranoid that the guy is going to kill him, he grabs a machete out of the back of the truck. In doing so he gets kicked out of the car and loses all of his photography equipment anyways. This taught me that we need to trust each other more, Just because there are a few crazy people in the world, we shouldn't let them give us all a bad name. I mean, the guy picked Fulgencio up when he was in desperate need of a car, and gives him a ride. He should have been thankful, not picked up a machete and threaten the guy. Another thing this book taught me was that just because your sister doesn't want your kid anymore because she

The way in which this story is told I find is very unique. The Book Of Unknown Americans is written in a first person perpective where each chaacter gets to personnaly introduce themselves and explain their life story. When reading this book it almost feels as if you are talking one on one with a close friend. Henriquez has a way of pulling your right through text and submerging you into the same word as the characters throughout the book. Henriquez makes a point of keeping the characters thoughts and emotions very clear, its as if we are the character. Its very easy to realte to eachinduvidual in the story, which is purposefully done by the auther in order to make Henriquez message clear on what she wants us, the reader, to take away from her fictional book. No matter where we come from, we all want the same things in life, to find love, safety, and a sense of purpose inthis world. Just becasue osmeone is a foreigner does not mean that their ambitions what they strive for in life are foreign concepts as well. We are all human and must treat one another as nothing less.

Written at the turn of the 20th century, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle took place in an era of unprecedented advancement in civilization where the American economy had risen to become one of the wealthiest on the planet. However, Sinclair asserts that the rise of capitalist America resulted in the virulent corruption and competition that plighted society into an untamed “jungle.” Shown by the corruption of the Chicago meatpacking industry, Sinclair highlights the repulsive filth of human greed that was created as a byproduct of the economic boom. The effects of industrialism and the rise of untamed capitalism is what raped the superfluity of workers, like Jurgis Rudkus, of the opportunity to uncover prosperity in America. Not only does The Jungle capture the brutality and acceleration of corrupt capitalism and ruthless Darwinism during the Progressive Era, it also prompts resistance and displacement of the existing political system in favor of a socialist revolution. Through the novel, Sinclair demonstrates how the deterioration of the American Dream was exacerbated by the capitalist greed and corruption that eventually drove Jurgis and his family into mental degeneration and despair.

The novel shows equality and gives the reader information on hardships experienced by Latinos without a show of feelings or complaint. When reading the novel, I found it interesting to read that Puerto Ricans are exiled and I found it

The hidden purpose of the subway system which Jurgis helps to construct is to break the teamsters’ union. Because Jurgis got hit by one of the rail freight cars, he broke his arm and lost his job.

Several years before and after the turn the turn of the twentieth century, America experienced a large influx of European immigration. These new citizens had come in search of the American dream of success, bolstered by promise of good fortune. Instead they found themselves beaten into failure by American industry. Upton Sinclair wanted to expose the cruelty and heartlessness endured by these ordinary workers. He chose to represent the industrial world through the meatpacking industry, where the rewards of progress were enjoyed only by the privileged, who exploited the powerless masses of workers. The Jungle is a novel and a work of investigative journalism; its primary purpose was to inform the general public about the dehumanization

The first story made me go back to my childhood. I hardly remember how I came to United State but one thing I do remember is my mom had the same reaction as Alma Rivera. All character made me feel like if I was coming back to the US. In the first couple pages, it caught my attention of how is actually telling what we the people that migrate go through. I enjoyed reading this book I can make some connection with the characters.

I found it extraordinary with every decision or turning point a character faced in their lives. What I have assimilated from this book is you cannot let where you come from determine your path, it is only you who can determine your future. This is also why the author Wes was one of my favorite characters in this narrative. His story is one out of a multitude that shows anyone can have a bright future. But I did not discern any similarities with the characters and myself. We all were born into different situations and grew up around opposite influences. Overall, my impression of the novel is positive I believe it is an outstanding book and anyone else who reads it I would hope agrees. I would definitely recommend this book to people because it may help them appreciate

I started this essay off with a quote one of the characters mention in the book because it basically gives us the main idea the author is trying to get readers to understand throughout the book. By looking at the title of this novel, “The Book of Unknown Americans” and by looking at the author’s name- Cristina Henriquez, we can already get an idea of what this novel is going to be about. When someone first takes a look at the title and author of this book they would assume that it is going to be about immigrants who moved to the United States and struggled to fit in. After reading this novel, I now understand how difficult it was for these Latino immigrants to leave everything they have in hope for better lives here in the United States. Each person has their own meaning of what it means to be an American and their own reason of what most immigrants come here for. The Rivera family came here in hope for better resources to help treat Maribel because they didn 't have the resources they needed back in their country.

Similarly, the book also carries a strong message that shows how strong Mexican Americans were during this time era. The story had many devastating parts, but many really show how

A muckraker is a person who exposes the truth about businesses and the government. These are known today as whistle blowers. Upton Sinclair was the King of muckraking. During the Progessive movement, the United States was going through a time of progressive meat production and packaging. Upton Sinclair wrote a novel named “The Jungle” that revealed what really happens in the meat producing industry. This was only one of one hundred pieces written by Sinclair.

In the Labor Union, many workers advocated for improvements of working conditions. In an excerpt by Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” describes the disgustingness of meatpacking industry and the horrendous conditions the workers had to be in. Workers had to work at least 16 hours of labor a day under dreadful working conditions, while being paid low wages. On top of that, many workers would lose limbs while working; workers would lose their lives at work. The majority of the workers would be children, due to children not asking for high wages and they are able to get into the machines to work or fix them.

The Jungle’s purpose is to illustrate just what happens when the American Dream does not come true. It is not for a lack of determination that its protagonist does not succeed with abundance -- nor ethic or spirit; he merely falls victim to a system in which those at the top succeed with abundance at the severe expense of those left with nothing at the bottom. The book’s author, Upton Sinclair, sought to show America the cost of its capitalist system. Born into a poor family with wealthy relatives, Sinclair was aware of social and economic disparity in America from a young age (The Jungle v). The Jungle is the result of Upton Sinclair working undercover for seven weeks in Chicago’s meatpacking industry in 1904, as well as the socialist

As the sun rose over the horizon it awoke the jungle slowly and efficiently. Soon I could hear the morning birds chirp with all their heart and that triggered joy and excitement in my soul. A morning breeze toured the jungle making the flowers and leaves tango with rhythm and finesse as though they were experts. The lush evergreen trees stood so firm as if the roots were clinging for their very life, in the distance there was a Crystal River and a waterfall as its source. I could hear the rampaging rapids after the dip of the waterfall which slowly converted into a swift river forcefully turning at every bank.