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The Jungle and In the Waiting Room

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In today’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 a lack of communication lead to a path of destruction for the family. Additionally, these problems eventually lead to devastation, manipulation and cause mental and physical health issues. So, Sinclair presents the consequences they …show more content…

To draw attention to a specific topic in the texts emphasis is created through other methods. Authors can fix the reader’s attention to specific details they want to emphasize through the point of view in the story. In both texts, different points of views are used to highlight the serious outcomes of language barriers. Sinclair uses 3rd person omniscient point of view throughout the story and focuses on Jurgis’ experiences and actions. Using an omniscient point of view allows Sinclair to explain to the reader the outcome of certain actions before the characters experience them. As the family first experiences the setting of their new life, the narration is used to show their lack of knowledge: “They were not sure that it was unpleasant, this odor; some might have called it sickening, but their taste in odors was not developed (Sinclair 2)”. The narration hints towards a future filled with unhappiness, it foreshadows devastation from a lack of knowledge about the new environment. From the narration the reader knows the future of the family but the characters themselves are not aware: “Elzbieta, alas, did not read the papers, and no one had told her; but perhaps it was as well, for just then they would not have had the carfare to spare to go every day to wait upon the surgeon, nor for that matter anybody with the time to take the child” (Sinclair 13). The narrator focuses on certain character’s actions to convey

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