The Jungle Literary Devices

Task 3 - Literary Elements & Devices

1. Major issues with textual evidence: Freedom and choice and power are some major issues appearing within the novel. Although Jurgis considers himself as “… a new man” (Sinclair 242) who is free from all family troubles, his poor decisions had led him down the same crooked path. He appears to be trapped in an endless cycle of where he has more than enough money to little or none at all due to his rash actions. Despite gaining some power through his connections with Harper, Jurgis still stands no chance against Connor, one of Mike Scully’s biggest men. In this society, power is distributed to how close one’s relations are with Scully and depending on where an individual lies, he/she will receive privileges

and benefits.
2. Elements of fiction: In chapters 22-26, Jurgis encounters both internal and external conflicts. He is involved in an internal battle with his morals after the death of little Antanas because he is overwhelmed by the crisis. Jurgis decides to cope with the situation by beginning a new life in the country and overlooking everything that had happened. Ultimately, he returns to Chicago, the root of all his problems as nothing pleasant ever arises from the people in this city. This is visible in the case with Connor because after recognizing him, Jurgis lashes out at him and ends up spending “… the balance of the night in the stockyards station-house” (Sinclair 317). If not for “Bush” Harper getting Jurgis’ bail reduced, he would not have been able to leave the jail.
3.

Literary devices with textual evidence: There are numerous occasions in The Jungle where literary devices are expressed. “It should go like a black, hateful nightmare, and in the morning he would be a new man” (Sinclair 242) refers to the whole business that Jurgis experienced during the night of Antanas’ passing. As he fled to the country to cope with his ordeal, Jurgis began thinking for himself and the once crippled man felt his health coming back to him,“It came with a sudden rush, bewildering him, startling him; it was as if his dead childhood had come back to him, laughing and calling!” (Sinclair 247). Eventually, Jurgis set out for Chicago again where he found work underneath the streets of the city with “… innumerable branches–a perfect spider-web beneath the city” (Sinclair 254), which indicates the complexity of the tunnel network. After receiving the boot from the butler, Jurgis felt “… the icy teeth of the blast bit into him, and he turned and went away at a run” (Sinclair 277) to escape the presence of the great castle. A recurring element in this novel is corruption as Jurgis increasingly finds himself tangled in the lawless part of Chicago. In addition, he builds relationships with those who are certainly willing to commit crimes to earn

money.
4.

Theme: Sinclair emphasizes in this section the importance of going against morals in order to survive hardships. This is evident in the case of Jurgis as he “… got a glimpse of the high-class criminal world of Chicago” (Sinclair 287) after carrying out his first crime, which he initially felt liable for. Through The Jungle, Upton Sinclair highlights the inner struggle of determining whether to live in misery and maintain one’s morality, or casting it aside for a life where all the good things come freely. It was “… a world in which nothing counted but brutal might, an order devised by those who possessed it for the subjugation of those who did not” (Sinclair

264).
5. Allusions with textual evidence: Allusions are commonly found throughout the novel. The reference to the Greek Goddess Diana “…with her hounds and horses, dashing headlong through a mountain streamlet” (Sinclair 270) along the walls of Freddie’s dining room indicates the contrast between the young master’s and Jurgis’ wealth. This account is further reinforced when Jurgis equates Freddie, who is adorned in a spotless evening dress, to the Greek youth Antinous, “… a beautiful boy, with light golden hair and the head of an Antinous” (Sinclair 275). “He saw ‘Admiral Dewey’ coming up behind the man and growling softly, to back up his threats” (Sinclair 277) alludes to Geroge Dewey, the only person in U.S. history to have attained the rank of Admiral of the Navy, which is relevant in the sense that the bulldog assists the butler in kicking Jurgis out of the house due to his lowly status.