The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

The Jungle is a novel written by Upton Sinclair that focuses on a Lithuanian family who deal with the hardships of Chicago in the early 20th century. The main character is a man named Jurgis Rudkus. His wife’s name is Ona, and throughout the novel their group of characters (family and siblings, Ona's stepmother Teta and her children, cousin Marija, etc.) face challenges together.

The novel begins with a lavish wedding ceremony for Jurgis and Ona, which is enjoyed by all. However, a question arises: will they be able to afford everything? Typical of those seeking a better life, Jurgis and his family travel to America, in this case, Chicago. Upon arriving, the family is faced with con men and also finds difficulty obtaining a home.

Jurgis and part of his family are forced to find work in the meat packing industry or the stockyards of Chicago, an oppressive environment full of danger and terrible conditions. Jurgis becomes miserable and his hopes of providing the good life for his family begin to slip. Tragically his wife Ona dies of childbirth because the family could not afford a proper doctor to deliver the baby. Jurgis is demoralized beyond recognition and he leaves the city, depressed and searching for an answer.

Jurgis tries to find farm work but realizes that once the harvest is finished farmers will no longer have need for him. He returns to Chicago and again tries to find work, this time away from the meat packing plants. Jurgis is still searching for meaning when he comes across the socialist party, and learns about labor unions. These things symbolize a remedy for his problems and Sinclair at the end of the book focuses on the socialist campaign.

I found The Jungle to be a harrowing read because of the descriptions of the meat packing industries disgusting conditions. Stories about immigrant workers being ground up after falling into machines and what Jurgis Rudkus and his family go through made me realize what life was like for immigrant workers at the beginning of the 20th century-not so good. The book led to the Food and Drug Administration’s creation after the public’s reaction to this book, which really goes to show how much of an impact it has had.