Capitalism Exposed In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

In the historical novel The Jungle, author, Upton Sinclair, composes the story of Lithuanian immigrants with aspirations of achieving the “American Dream.” Jurgis Rudkus, his lover Ona Lukosziate and her ten family members traveled to the center of Lithuanian immigration, a meatpacking industry of Chicago, known as “Packingtown.” Here it was perceived that they would establish a better living in a place professed to reward the labor of those willing to grind. However, the American dream at this time came with much misconception and required rigorous vocations performed in unsafe working conditions with no regard for employee safety while also being manipulated by the grasps of capitalism. Sinclair begins the story with the newly weds organizing …show more content…
By projecting a life filled with manipulation and inhumanity, Sinclair persuades the reader to contribute these evils to the political system of capitalism. In this system, the working class remains vulnerable and helpless due to “wage slavery” (226) only to be hunted and consumed by its jungles’ predators, corporate owners with deep pockets. The need for wages in order to protect and feed their families transforms these once dedicated, blue-collar laborers into greedy capitalist that will kill for an increase in profit. Capitalism works to destroy the general population for the profit of the business owners, similar to Charles Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest” theory. In the Darwinian jungle, the strongest predators, in this case private industry business owners, prey on the weak, their employees, in order to make the owners more powerful. For Jurgis and his family, they anticipated a world of freedom and wealth, however in realty, they landed in the middle of a jungle, controlled by gluttony and the ruthless competition to acclaim prosperity. As Jurgis is devoured by the forces of competition, recently released from prison and depressed, Sinclair offers him deliberation through the belief in