Research Paper on The Jungle
In the weeks and months following the publication of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, there were many discussions about this novel. Considered crude and blunt in his naturalistic method, Sinclair was said to over exaggerate the difficulties that Jurgis Rudkus and his extended family faced. Sinclair effectively made his point through the use of his characters, the setting and figurative language. An active advocate of Socialism, Sinclair wrote his novel to expose the horrible conditions in which the working class was forced to live. Constructing characters who were to be defeated was meant to soften the reader's heart, propaganda for the message of Socialism.
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Although there was no doubt that the Chicago stockyards or "Packingtown" held a lower standard of life than was considered the American Dream, it was implausible that one family would confront so many hardships. The author describes Chicago as a savage place, a jungle, which is a harsh but accurate depiction of Packingtown in the early twentieth century. Every horror that the family encounters advocates Sinclair's support of Socialism. Taking the reader through the packing plant exposes the unsanitary conditions that were ever prevalent in the stockyards. It is said that The Jungle hit people's stomachs, not their hearts. Sinclair did not mind however as it propelled "the working men of America" into the eye of the public. Descriptions such as the following two that are found on page 96 were likely meant to raise the national consciousness. "It seemed that they must have agencies all over the country, to hunt out old and crippled and diseased cattle to be canned" and "there were cattle which had been fed on whiskey malt, the refuse of the breweries, and had become what men called steerly--which means covered with boils".
The setting was meant to provide a comparison between Packingtown and those who lived in lavish extravagance. In chapter twenty-four Sinclair tells of how Jurgis met a "Master Freddie" the son of Mr. Durham, the owner of the packing plant in which Jurgis once worked. Dramatic comparisons were drawn between the difference in wealth of the rich and poor, showing what Sinclair considered a huge problem with Capitalism.
The story is told through the eyes of Lithuanian immigrants, flat characters whose dreams for the future are eventually crushed after becoming the Everyman of America. Sinclair does not sacrifice his message for the sake of believable characters and a credible plot. Jurgis is a character with little history or personality. Coming to America he is portrayed as a hard worker very much in love with his new wife, Ona. In chapter two the author introduces the reader to his na've aspirations. "Jurgis talked lightly about work, because he was young. They told him stories about the breaking down of men, there in the stockyards of Chicago, and of what happened to them afterward--stories to make your flesh creep, but Jurgis would only laugh." This attitude of hard work persisted and Jurgis was proud to be "a cog in this marvelous machine". After time however, his opinion on life in the stockyards had greatly changed. He no longer had hope of the future, but turned to alcohol to solve his problems.
Stumbling through life in the city, Jurgis is Sinclair's universal, a man who could be anyone. He was a meat-packer, a prisoner, a steelworker, a scab, a petty criminal, a hobo on the road and finally a converted socialist. He portrays the life that anyone could have, and the salvation that solves everyone's problems. On page 102 Sinclair describes how the family has no reprieve from the work that they are tied to. "Four or five miles to the east of them lay the blue waters of Lake Michigan; but for all the good it did them it might have been as far away as the Pacific Ocean. They had only Sundays, and then they were too tired to walk. They were tied to the great packing machine and tied to it for life." This contrast could be drawn between anyone's life, any muckraker throughout the world, fed up with the inequality of Capitalism. This was Sinclair's goal, and although it is obvious, he makes his point; Socialism is the answer to the problems that plague the working class.
Sinclair uses figurative language in an attempt to create a novel of literary merit. Often this figurative language enables him to more effectively make his point. In chapter fourteen Ona is having difficulty with her health and Sinclair uses figurative language to strengthen his position. "The accursed work she had to do, that was killing her by inches." As well in chapter twenty-eight Sinclair uses figurative language to make the speaker at the Socialism convention seem well educated. "I shall still be waiting--there is nothing else that I can do. There is no wilderness where I can hide from these things, there is no haven where I can escape them; though I travel to the ends of the earth, I find the same accursed system". Although Sinclair is by no means the finest author, at times throughout The Jungle, his value as a novelist is evident.
In spite of the fact that The Jungle falls far short of a great novel, it is written as protest against the deceitful practices of the meat packing industry. This is the central theme of Sinclair's questioning of the competitive individualism that is Capitalism. Upton Sinclair uses the setting, his characters and figurative language to make his points. Although he is at times mundane and lifeless, Jurgis story is still interesting, and one cannot help but be carried along the plot. You find yourself at times agreeing with Sinclair, yet shaking your head at his dogmatic opinion. This novel contains a valuable history lesson.
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Although there was no doubt that the Chicago stockyards or "Packingtown" held a lower standard of life than was considered the American Dream, it was implausible that one family would confront so many hardships. The author describes Chicago as a savage place, a jungle, which is a harsh but accurate depiction of Packingtown in the early twentieth century. Every horror that the family encounters advocates Sinclair's support of Socialism. Taking the reader through the packing plant exposes the unsanitary conditions that were ever prevalent in the stockyards. It is said that The Jungle hit people's stomachs, not their hearts. Sinclair did not mind however as it propelled "the working men of America" into the eye of the public. Descriptions such as the following two that are found on page 96 were likely meant to raise the national consciousness. "It seemed that they must have agencies all over the country, to hunt out old and crippled and diseased cattle to be canned" and "there were cattle which had been fed on whiskey malt, the refuse of the breweries, and had become what men called steerly--which means covered with boils".
The setting was meant to provide a comparison between Packingtown and those who lived in lavish extravagance. In chapter twenty-four Sinclair tells of how Jurgis met a "Master Freddie" the son of Mr. Durham, the owner of the packing plant in which Jurgis once worked. Dramatic comparisons were drawn between the difference in wealth of the rich and poor, showing what Sinclair considered a huge problem with Capitalism.
The story is told through the eyes of Lithuanian immigrants, flat characters whose dreams for the future are eventually crushed after becoming the Everyman of America. Sinclair does not sacrifice his message for the sake of believable characters and a credible plot. Jurgis is a character with little history or personality. Coming to America he is portrayed as a hard worker very much in love with his new wife, Ona. In chapter two the author introduces the reader to his na've aspirations. "Jurgis talked lightly about work, because he was young. They told him stories about the breaking down of men, there in the stockyards of Chicago, and of what happened to them afterward--stories to make your flesh creep, but Jurgis would only laugh." This attitude of hard work persisted and Jurgis was proud to be "a cog in this marvelous machine". After time however, his opinion on life in the stockyards had greatly changed. He no longer had hope of the future, but turned to alcohol to solve his problems.
Stumbling through life in the city, Jurgis is Sinclair's universal, a man who could be anyone. He was a meat-packer, a prisoner, a steelworker, a scab, a petty criminal, a hobo on the road and finally a converted socialist. He portrays the life that anyone could have, and the salvation that solves everyone's problems. On page 102 Sinclair describes how the family has no reprieve from the work that they are tied to. "Four or five miles to the east of them lay the blue waters of Lake Michigan; but for all the good it did them it might have been as far away as the Pacific Ocean. They had only Sundays, and then they were too tired to walk. They were tied to the great packing machine and tied to it for life." This contrast could be drawn between anyone's life, any muckraker throughout the world, fed up with the inequality of Capitalism. This was Sinclair's goal, and although it is obvious, he makes his point; Socialism is the answer to the problems that plague the working class.
Sinclair uses figurative language in an attempt to create a novel of literary merit. Often this figurative language enables him to more effectively make his point. In chapter fourteen Ona is having difficulty with her health and Sinclair uses figurative language to strengthen his position. "The accursed work she had to do, that was killing her by inches." As well in chapter twenty-eight Sinclair uses figurative language to make the speaker at the Socialism convention seem well educated. "I shall still be waiting--there is nothing else that I can do. There is no wilderness where I can hide from these things, there is no haven where I can escape them; though I travel to the ends of the earth, I find the same accursed system". Although Sinclair is by no means the finest author, at times throughout The Jungle, his value as a novelist is evident.
In spite of the fact that The Jungle falls far short of a great novel, it is written as protest against the deceitful practices of the meat packing industry. This is the central theme of Sinclair's questioning of the competitive individualism that is Capitalism. Upton Sinclair uses the setting, his characters and figurative language to make his points. Although he is at times mundane and lifeless, Jurgis story is still interesting, and one cannot help but be carried along the plot. You find yourself at times agreeing with Sinclair, yet shaking your head at his dogmatic opinion. This novel contains a valuable history lesson.
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___________________________________________________________If you need a custom research paper, research proposal, essay, dissertation, thesis paper or term paper on your topic, EffectivePapers.com will write your research papers from scratch. Starting at $12/page you can order custom written papers online. We work with experienced PhD. and Master's freelance writers to help you with writing any academic papers in any subject! High quality and 100% non-plagiarized papers guaranteed!
