Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle, opens with a description of a Lithuanian wedding taking place in the Chicago meatpacking district. The novel follows the couple from the wedding, Jurgis and Ona, through their struggles in the meatpacking district of Chicago. The novel is organized in such a way that highlights the issues of industrialization through the personalization of the meatpacking industry. I decided to read this book after it was referenced in class, as I had read excerpts of the novel in the past but I had never read the entire story. I thought this novel would be an interesting look at the industrialization of America in relation to the impacts of industrialization and modernization on the environment. A major concept presented
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His two strongest arguments in relation to the environment are revealed through Jurgis’ experiences both in the factory and in the fertilizing plant. I think these two arguments were also two of the harder parts of the book to read; however, I also found Ona’s experiences very hard to read. There is a portion of the book where Ona is pregnant while working in the factory and also being forced into prostitution – I found this storyline devastating, as it could still take place today in factories where undocumented immigrants are working. Another part of the novel that was hard for me to get through was when Jurgis went to jail. After finding out about the struggles Ona is facing at work, Jurgis tries to defend his wife and gets sent to jail. This part added another level of humanness to the story as Jurgis is punished in his attempt to enact justice on behalf of his wife. This story would be an interesting read for someone who is studying history as it adds a personal story to the harsh realities and facts surrounding the Industrial Revolution. I would be interested to learn more about the vast impact of the Industrial Revolution on the environment aside from the meatpacking industry, as that was the main exploration of this
His two strongest arguments in relation to the environment are revealed through Jurgis’ experiences both in the factory and in the fertilizing plant. I think these two arguments were also two of the harder parts of the book to read; however, I also found Ona’s experiences very hard to read. There is a portion of the book where Ona is pregnant while working in the factory and also being forced into prostitution – I found this storyline devastating, as it could still take place today in factories where undocumented immigrants are working. Another part of the novel that was hard for me to get through was when Jurgis went to jail. After finding out about the struggles Ona is facing at work, Jurgis tries to defend his wife and gets sent to jail. This part added another level of humanness to the story as Jurgis is punished in his attempt to enact justice on behalf of his wife. This story would be an interesting read for someone who is studying history as it adds a personal story to the harsh realities and facts surrounding the Industrial Revolution. I would be interested to learn more about the vast impact of the Industrial Revolution on the environment aside from the meatpacking industry, as that was the main exploration of this