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Analyzing Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

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Bethany Williams 641-18-6590 HIST 1301 October 29, 2015 The Jungle This is a critique of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (New York: Double Day, Jabber and Company, 1906). The Jungle focuses on the life of Jurgis and Ona Rudkus, a new couple, who made a decision to migrate from the Lithuania to the United States. The book depicts the hard life that immigrants face and how their dreams are shattered, after moving to the United States. A friend living in Chicago had informed them that it was an ideal place for any person who wanted to make it in life. As such, they all thought that going to Chicago could lead to a huge improvement in their lifestyle. However, when the family arrives in Chicago, they get themselves in the horror of the regulated …show more content…

The slaughtering process emotionally disturbs Jurgis’ family and all the people who had accompanied them on their tour. In the slaughterhouse, pigs squealed in pain to the point that visitors could no longer be comfortable. On his observation, Sinclair believes that the slaughterhouse has promoted inhumane behavior in people. It could be true because the capitalist society does not teach people to care for others, as opposed to socialism where everyone has a role to care for another member in the society. What is more, the tears from the visitors and the squeals of the animals in the slaughterhouse could not change anything …show more content…

The delivery of his message was eloquent, and the way he presented his ideas is commendable. The use of characters in giving the first-hand experience of workers and the conditions they were subjected to, in the meat packing industry, is remarkable. Previously, most of the American citizens did not acknowledge the role of socialism, particularly in bringing balance to the society. Instead, they thought that capitalism would make them free, which is not true, according to Sinclair. However, the issues raised by the author clearly demonstrate the faults in embracing capitalism. In fact, the rich individuals prefer capitalism because they use their power to ensure that the poor remain oppressed, at their expense. Moreover, the book profoundly illustrates how work could lead to the dehumanization of people. I highly recommend this book to everybody who wants to understand the plight of workers in a capitalist nation. Notably, this book is relevant today, given that oppression in the workplace is yet to be eliminated. When people read this book, they get a picture of the mess created by the capitalist

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