I chose to read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I first heard of this book during freshman year in 20th Century. The teacher explained that it was about the conditions of the meat industry was back in the early 1900s. I have a strong interest in agriculture and the meat industry and that what I thought the book would be about. But I was wrong. The meat industry is only mentioned in detailed in two chapters. The rest of the book focused on how rough life was trying to purse the “American Dream”.
The Jungle takes place during the early 1900s in Chicago’s meatpacking district, which is called “Packingtown”. The setting never changes in the book. It is also real and historical We get these almost newspaper-like depictions of pigs with tuberculosis …show more content…
But I think the main theme is the Visions of America and suffering. Jurgis’ vision of American is completely different than what reality was. He didn’t realize that so much suffering and sacrifice is a part of the American Dream. There are people in The Jungle who try to alleviate other people’s suffering. Jurgis was not ready to immerse himself and his family in the melting pot. Their different cultural backgrounds and assumptions make many of their interactions with the American system even more difficult than they thought. A jungle is crazy and hard to navigate. There are the tall trees that make it hard to see. The food chain in a jungle is similar to a city. Your top predators are the managers of the meat packaging plants. The cows and pigs are at the bottom where every picks and destroys them. The middle are the workers. They constantly are worried about their safety and if they will keep their jobs. If they don’t have a job they are thrown to the bottom and get pick on and are risking their own survival.
At the end of the book, people are rising up to fix all the wrongful practices in Packingtown. The socialists are finally getting what they want and Chicago is in the hand of the people. That same day, Jurgis is arrested and off to prison for assault and the intent to kill. Jurgis wanted justice and he was after the owners, just like everyone else. The only thing significant in the conclusion is that the people finally are heard and get to make decisions and are treated
The Jungle takes place during the early 1900s in Chicago’s meatpacking district, which is called “Packingtown”. The setting never changes in the book. It is also real and historical We get these almost newspaper-like depictions of pigs with tuberculosis …show more content…
But I think the main theme is the Visions of America and suffering. Jurgis’ vision of American is completely different than what reality was. He didn’t realize that so much suffering and sacrifice is a part of the American Dream. There are people in The Jungle who try to alleviate other people’s suffering. Jurgis was not ready to immerse himself and his family in the melting pot. Their different cultural backgrounds and assumptions make many of their interactions with the American system even more difficult than they thought. A jungle is crazy and hard to navigate. There are the tall trees that make it hard to see. The food chain in a jungle is similar to a city. Your top predators are the managers of the meat packaging plants. The cows and pigs are at the bottom where every picks and destroys them. The middle are the workers. They constantly are worried about their safety and if they will keep their jobs. If they don’t have a job they are thrown to the bottom and get pick on and are risking their own survival.
At the end of the book, people are rising up to fix all the wrongful practices in Packingtown. The socialists are finally getting what they want and Chicago is in the hand of the people. That same day, Jurgis is arrested and off to prison for assault and the intent to kill. Jurgis wanted justice and he was after the owners, just like everyone else. The only thing significant in the conclusion is that the people finally are heard and get to make decisions and are treated