Upton Sinclair's Purpose in Writing The Jungle

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Upton Sinclair's Purpose in Writing The Jungle Upton Sinclair wrote this book for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he tries to awaken the reader to the terrible living conditions of immigrants in the cities around the turn of the century. Chicago has the most potent examples of these conditions. Secondly, he attempts to show the advantages of socialism in helping to remedy the problems of a society such as the one that exists in Chicago at this time. Sinclair accomplishes his objectives with an extremely powerful story. Jurgis Rudkus and his family seem to be an average immigrant family of the period. They are not wealthy and they are easily fooled by schemes designed to take what little they have. The language barrier encountered by these people is a major factor in allowing them to be swindled. The immigrants of this period tend to trust anyone who is fluent in their native language. This fact is put to use twice early in their time in America. A Lithuanian lawyer is sought to read over the contract for the purchase of their house. Jurgis is suspicious when the lawyer and the agent are on a first name basis. However, when the lawyer tells him that it is a legal and fair document, Jurgis believes him. The lawyer does not tell him of the loopholes that will eventually lead to the loss of the house. After Jurgis works in the packing house for a while, a man tells him in Lithuanian that he can now become a citizen. Jurgis is then registered to vote, and told about one of the candidates. Nothing is said of the other candidate, so he votes for the man that he is told of, and receives money for this vote. Another problem faced by most of the immigrants of Chicago is making a living. Jurgis gets a job on the first day trying. He is paid the princely sum of $1.25 a day. In Lithuania, this is a lot of money. With the wages of himself and his brother, the entire family should be able to keep solvent. Due to the hidden charges for the house, he finds that he is dreadfully wrong. Eventually, all of the family members must seek work, just to survive. Life becomes a 'hand-to-mouth' proposition. Even after the family loses the house, things do not get any easier. During this time period, there is no such thing as job security. All of the packing houses have a 'speed-up' polic... ... middle of paper ... ... This work paints a very vivid picture of the world of the immigrant of the early 1900's. It makes the reader think about the injustices that existed then, and to some extent, still exist. The story seems to be true to life, and not the least bit contrived. The reader is wrapped up in the life of Jurgis Rudkus. Every time he seems to be on top of things, he is knocked off by some unseen force. The book is very difficult to put down because the fate of the main character always seems to be hanging on the brink. This book is an indispensable insight into the history of the era. However, the socialist propaganda at the end seems to be a bit hard to accept. It is too large of a dose, and seems to abandon Jurgis. This appears to be the only problem with the book, and can be almost overlooked by the reader, if it is desired. Upton Sinclair wrote a very impressive work. It is definitely worth the time to read it. It shows many facets of life during the period. The storyteller has a very dynamic person to narrarate. The hopes and dreams of a generation of immigrants to the United States are presented in a very thought-provoking manner.

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