The Jungle Feminist Analysis

In the novel “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair points out the harsh reality of what the American Dream is consist of. The American Dream was not an ideal way of life for immigrants because the opportunities for advancement were not the same for individuals. The characters in the novel depict various communal crises that are encounter. Ona Lukoszaite experiences as a wife and employee lead into the issue of oppressed women and women in the workforce. The oppression of women started from a patriarchal system. The patriarchal system place men as superior over women and it created gender roles. This system denotes that women are under the man’s protection and provision; which includes the domestic role for women. According to Limpus (2005) “Most of the jobs open to most women are unpleasant. The mere opening up of job opportunities to women thus does not solve the problem of women in production. Further, the nature of these jobs often makes marriage seem more attractive, thus backing up the mythology. The rights of women were not recognized and subjected to abuse, rape, and exploitation. Like Ona Lukoszaite, a Lithonia immigrant was married off at a young age to Jurgis. Her character shows her frailty and innocence for she is still a child. As the wife of Jurgis, her purpose was to provide a family; however, Ona’s living condition was inadequate which

Jurgis decided to defend Ona at the factory. Jurgis assaulted Phil Connor for the mistreatment of his wife; however, this decision left Ona and her children without the dominate figure of their home. The character lost their means to sustainable living, so they were place into a rooming house. Including the health conditions, Ona dies after giving birth. This denotes the dismantling of the family structure. Ona’s experience affected Jurgis’s individual state because he lost his job and became a beggar. The character exhibited the cycle of