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The External Conflict In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

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Upton Sinclair 's, The Jungle, is set in the early 1900’s and tells the story of Jurgis, the main character, who has much trouble in succeeding the tasks he promises to fulfill for his family. Jurgis Rudkus is married to Ona. The two have two late children and two handicapped children. When he, his wife, and their children move to Packingtown, Chicago from Lithuania, Jurgis finds a job to provide for them. Of course, having one person only working to pay the bills is difficult especially with the little pay. Every time Ona suggests her working, Jurgis says to her, “Leave it to me-I will earn more money. I will work harder.” (Sinclair 22) He believes that the man should be the one to work for the family so he repeatedly states he would “try harder”. However, he never does since yet another problem arises. Jurgis is a perfect example to show that no matter how much some people try to fix their problems, there are times when it is not possible. Sinclair first introduces Jurgis’ inability to move forward in life with the external conflict of Onas rape. Initially, even though Jurgis did not want Ona to work, he eventually allows her to do so; they could use the help of money for rent and/or necessities after all. Ona’s boss is not a man to be well liked. Jurgis is sent to …show more content…

Unknowingly, Jugis doesn 't realize that money won’t fix the death of his wife and the child after giving birth. After she gives birth to the baby, Jurgis is told Ona has passed and so has the baby. He is in the same state that any other human being would be in if they lost their loved ones. Having lost Ona is another problem he cannot overcome in such an ephemeral period of time. This situation is another obstacle he has to face alone. He could’ve gotten a doctor if only he had the money for it. Due to not having a job seeing that he went away for a while he couldn’t save his wife and/or the new baby they would’ve

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Summary Of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

746 Words | 3 Pages

The story of "The Jungle" happened in September 1904 in Chicago slaughter house strike, Sinclair wrote an article sympathy for the workers for the strike workers in a magazine called "Call of Sense", Widely welcomed by workers. Afterwards, this magazine sponsored him for $ 500, allowing him to spend some time in the slaughterhouse. Sinclair spent seven weeks with the workers at the Chicago slaughterhouse and saw and heard many sensational things. When he got back to his home in New Jersey, he spent nine months writing "The Jungle" exposing the disgusting production environment and processing of the meat processing industry. The enormous media pressure caused by this book has forced the U.S. Congress to pass the Pure Food and Drugs Act and the

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Comparing Jurgis And James In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

1286 Words | 6 Pages

Jurgis works as hard as he can at the Chicago Stockyards. He is a very good employee, and one of the hardest workers there. The twelve-hour shifts are definitely catching up with him. He is very exhausted, and is always working. James Braddock is a boxer, and he is on a winning streak.

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Jurgis Rudkus In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

710 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel, “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair, Jurgis Rudkus plays an important role. Jurgis goes on a journey with his wife to a new country looking for a job and ends up losing more than he ever thought he could lose. The character, Jurgis Rudkus, is a strong willed man who faces many difficult situations on his journey to find a job and to reunite with his in laws.

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Review Of Upton Sinclair's Novel 'The Jungle'

1153 Words | 5 Pages

In conclusion, the novel The Jungle written by Upton Sinclair was based on the lives of immigrants living in Chicago trying to create a new life for themselves all while trying to survive in the harsh working and living conditions. The title represents what live was really like and that like in a jungle, you had to fight for survival. Sinclair described what life was like then and what was going on in the meat packing industries by using examples of corruption and poverty that Jurgis and his family

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Justice System In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

832 Words | 4 Pages

Jurgis Rudkus, the main character in The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, has a very rough journey when he moves to America from Lithuania. He faces many hardships and they're difficult for anyone to endure. Throughout the novel Jurgis is put through the justice/prison system multiple times, and each time he experienced something new, whether it be the unjust treatment he received, the food he was served, or even the condition of his cell and daily life there. The novel portrayed the justice system as an unfair one. They treat immigrants and the poor unfairly.

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Meatpacking Workers In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

1060 Words | 5 Pages

Revealing the harsh treatment of meatpacking workers and showing the reality of the disgusting conditions found in butchery shops to the public, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle became an enduring classic by American readers throughout the early twentieth century the prompted the later creation of the Federal Drug Administration. In the early 1900s, America was explosively transitioning from an agricultural society to a thriving manufacturing-based nation. As production demand in factories grew throughout the country, the work force needed to run those factories also expanded. A new type of demanding and dangerous work became prevalent throughout the nation, as immigrants coming into the “Land of Opportunity” found themselves desperate

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The Economic Tension In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

1899 Words | 8 Pages

There are many other traps around America that deceive the immigrants because their weakness of not knowing English and the desire of getting a great life in America which lead them unpreparedly get fooled by the businessmen. These traps prevented the immigrants from leaving America, because of the significant amount of debt that they have to pay each month, which forced them to keep working and become the slave of this capitalistic society in America. Unfortunately, even they work very hard, in most of the time they will not get anything in return, such that Jurgis’s family cannot even keep the house at the of the book and many of family members’ health destroyed by the harsh working conditions in the

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Working Conditions In The Jungle

634 Words | 3 Pages

During the 1900’s working conditions were undeniably horrible. In Packingtown everyday got more difficult as the days went on. In the meat packing business things were supposed to be done quick. Inside the factories packing, chopping, inspecting and people actions didn’t mix. Not only did the people in the factories suffered, the people outside of the factory also suffered.

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Analysis Of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

575 Words | 3 Pages

A target for criticism for decades, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle has been controversial since its first publishing in 1906. Literary critics commonly discredit the novel’s formal features; usually associating its failures to Sinclair’s political ideology. While historians give blame to external events, especially in political context to the novel’s popularity. In either argument, it is agreed that the novel is a loser (Wilson).

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The Flint Water Crisis

1766 Words | 8 Pages

They were given low pay and barely had enough food to survive. This makes the American Dream nearly impossible to achieve. In this novel, many people pass away, including Ona, Jurgis’ wife. Ona dies while giving birth to her stillborn baby. Jurgis goes in and out of jail many times due to many different things.

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Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Analysis

896 Words | 4 Pages

Upton Sinclair wrote the Jungle in 1906 during the time of progressivism to portray the horrors of the labor conditions and non existing sanitary conditions of the meat packing industry. Jurgis and his family, immigrants from Lithuania, came to America expecting a prosperous life. The family dreamed of coming to America for a better life full of success and opportunity but as they began working in the stockyards they were exposed to the terrible quality of life experienced by the factory workers. The Jungle tells the story of a family of immigrants coming to America to gain freedom and portrays the dehumanization of the stockyards through the political corruption, inhumane child labor practices, and the horrific working conditions. Jurgis

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The Role Of Socialism In The Jungle By Upton Sinclair

709 Words | 3 Pages

On the contrary, Sinclair gives evil characteristic to the upper class capitalists such as Conner. To conclude, “The Jungle” is propaganda over literary fiction because Sinclair over exaggerates the problems Jurgis and his family go through to make his point. Jurgis and his family go through almost every wrong possible, making it unrealistic. Although “The jungle” appears as literary fiction early on, after finishing the story, it is clear the novel is a work of

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Examples Of Struggles In The Jungle

2149 Words | 9 Pages

A Time for Struggle and Change Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, depicts the struggles of Lithuanian immigrants as they worked and lived in Chicago’s Packingtown at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. The United States experienced an enormous social and political transformation; furthermore, the economy, factories, and transportation industry grew faster than anyone had ever seen. Immigrants and migrants were attracted to city life for its promise of employment and their chance at the American Dream. The poor working class had little to no rights, and they grappled with unfair business practices, unsafe working conditions, racism, Social Darwinism, class segregation, xenophobia, political corruption, strikes, starvation, poor housing,

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Poverty In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

1445 Words | 6 Pages

Families that are poor or have a low income are more likely to commit crimes for the purpose of their own needs to survive. “It is a fact that neighborhoods where the poor are concentrated are more prone to high crime rates, and poor residents are the most common victims of crimes” (1). The best explanation for this is that poorer people have the same needs as a regular middle-class citizen. The poor citizens need certain things to help him or her live a healthy life, such as healthcare, food stamps, and more employment options. One may argue that healthcare is too expensive and that food stamps have been taken away from many people.

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The Jungle Critical Analysis

1202 Words | 5 Pages

They take you on a journey full of dream-crushing brutality and deception of what seems to be the ideal place to work and built a life. They settle near the stockyards and meatpacking district, where Jurgis finds his first job at Brown’s slaughterhouse. Jurgis, thinking the U.S. offered more freedom, finds that the working conditions there are very

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