Elements In Sinclair's 'Jurgis, Ona'

Upton Sinclair’s Argument for Socialism The Jungle written by Upton Sinclair in 1906 portrayed the harsh realities endured by millions of immigrants and working-class people during the Gilded Age. The book is centered around a Lithuanian immigrant named Jurgis and his wife Ona and their family. In the beginning, Jurgis and Ona have just moved to Chicago and neither speak English; yet, they have a sense of optimism about what their life in America will look like. In fact, when Ona tells Jurgis about

When Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle was published in February 1906, it provoked outrage among the American public and prompted much needed legislative reform within America’s meatpacking industry. Responding to public pressure, President Theodore Roosevelt launched a government investigation. The ensuing report, “Conditions in the Chicago Stock Yards,” confirmed many of Sinclair’s accusations and quickly led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. However

district. Sinclair’s research was integrated into his novel The Jungle, a tragic story about a group of immigrants from Lithuania led by Jurgis, the main

As of 2015, immigrants make up more than 43.3 percent of the United States population. By the early 1900s there were already more than 10 million immigrants living in America. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle reveals the struggles and hardships of a family that immigrated to the United States from Lithuania during the 1900s. Although many immigrant families came to America in search of a better life, soon most found themselves barely surviving with no job, food, shelter, or money. As is the case of the

passed by President Roosevelt. “The law authorized inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop any bad or mislabeled meat from entering interstate and foreign commerce” (“BRIA”). This act came about due to the response from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Although mentioned, the horrors of the

salesman- and strong willed mother, though they visited wealthy family in the upper class. Growing to actively enjoy difficult literature from early ages, his interest in writing increased immensely. Although this is true, many also believe that Sinclair’s firm dedication in political convictions and socialism brought him to his work. Despite his past, it could be said that he was a sharp knife in the draw, as he graduated from Columbia University and the College of the City of New York at age 20

moments of jubilee in the book provide a very effective contrast to the book’s main themes of human misery and powerlessness as the life of Jurgis falls apart piece by piece. Following this wedding sequence the book catches its readers up on the status of Jurgis and the rest during the six months prior. A man of strong build, it did not take long for Jurgis to find work in the Chicago stockyards sweeping cow entrails into waste chutes on the killing floors of Brown’s slaughterhouse. The mechanics

themselves at the top of the chain in the land of opportunity. The minds of the laborers filled with hope that one day everything will be better and the fruit of their labor will soon bloom to light. But, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle paints a more grim reality of hard work and the dream that Jurgis and his family held so dear to his heart. The corruption of the American Dream conveys the delusion of a reward for the hard work and suffering of the laborers in Packingtown instead showing it as an illusion

The title of Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, metaphorically represents three primary features of the city of Chicago: 1) its physical appearance, 2) its ubiquitous dangers and hazards, and 3) its rigidly defined “food chain” in the form of a socio-economic hierarchy. By offering a physical depiction of Chicago as a dangerous and dismal urban “wilderness,” Sinclair encapsulates the overarching experiences of the poor working classes while simultaneously portraying industrialization and capitalism

both supports and refutes this theory. It supports it, considering that Jurgis’ family could not progress because their main focus was survival, food, clothing shelter. However, Jurgis reaches the highest level of self actualization during a period where his basic needs are not meet, when he decides to join the political party of Socialism. It is not until he joins this party that Jurgis understands his purpose. Jurgis and his family would have greatly benefited from many of the social services