Throughout the Progressive Era, immigrants flooded into the United States with the hope of achieving the “American Dream.” They thought that America, the land of new life and opportunities, would give them a steady job to support their families. However, the dream soon proved to be an illusion. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle described the story of the fictional character Jurgis Rudkus, an immigrant from Lithuania, as he tried to endure endless, repetitive low-paying jobs and family deaths. Although The Jungle became more well-known for its horrific portrayal of the meat-packing plants, Sinclair’s true agenda was to bring to light the corruption of capitalism through Jurgis’s story, making it possible for him to boldly promote his socialistic views
