The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is the essence of an American experience for immigrants in the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s. It is portrayed as the constant struggle of the oppressed to achieve the ‘American Dream’, a uniting of people opposing the exploitation of workers under privileged by Capitalism and its few but nevertheless very powerful supporters in the early twentieth century of America.

The characters consist of a family from Lithuania, who move to America seeking the opportunities they’ve heard it has to offer. This includes Jurgis Rudkus, the main character, and his wife, Ona. The book begins with the couple, newly married, holding their wedding feast in a small area of Chicago named Packingtown.

With little money, every member of the family is forced to search for jobs. Many mishaps come upon them as they struggle to keep alive. A few fail, in the harsh conditions of the packing plants or factories they have found work at. With little food and medicine some of the family don’t last through the winter.

By the end of the book, only half of the family is left, along with a child Jurgis and Ona have had. Jurgis joins a group