Richard Wasowski earned his M.A. from Ohio State University and teaches secondary English in Ashland.
Preface
Introduction to the Novel
List Of Characters
Introduction to the Novel
"I aimed for the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." Upton Sinclair used those
words to describe the reaction his novel, The Jungle, received upon its initial publication. Sinclair intended
to illustrate the plight of immigrants in Chicago at the turn of the century; providing details and examples of
abuses in the meatpacking industry merely as a means of demonstrating their troubles. Instead of being one example
of many hardships, those examples, revealed in fewer than twelve pages, became both the rallying cry for industrial
abuse and the public perception of the entire thematic nature of the novel.
Originally, The Jungle appeared in serial form in the socialist newspaper Appeal to Reason in 1905. Sinclair was
hired to write an exposé about labor conditions in the Chicago stockyards. Sinclair's novel had mass appeal
and led to an outcry against the meatpacking industry.
The harsh realities and controversial topics of The Jungle made finding a publisher for a bound edition difficult.
Only after investigating the allegations in Sinclair's book did Doubleday, Page, and Company agree to print the
book in 1906.
While publishers debated printing The Jungle, the public demanded government intervention against the atrocities.
This public outcry led to the 1906 Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. It also, however, led to
a report issued the same year by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Husbandry that refuted the worst
of Sinclair's allegations. The public's perception at this time was that the meatpacking industry feared these
Acts. What was unrecognized, however, was the fact that meatpackers knew they were viewed with contempt, and facing
substantial losses, the industry actually supported the Acts. They just did not want to be the ones to pay for
the implementation. These Acts allayed most fears, and ironically, actually favored big business, which was the
opposite of Sinclair's intention.
No one knows exactly the extent of what is fact and what is fiction in The Jungle. Abuse in business and government
most certainly existed, for graft was a way of life. In all probability, The Jungle illustrates a world that was
not too far removed from the reality of the day; however, the extreme examples of abuse are most likely the result
of Sinclair's imagination.
Sinclair needed to include these extreme examples because he had a particular agenda when writing The Jungle. After
following the famous meat cutters' strike of 1904, Sinclair wrote an essay challenging the union to do something
after it had lost its protest. The editor of Appeal to Reason answered Sinclair's challenge, hiring him to write
the exposé. Sinclair visited Chicago and used the real-life situations at the stockyards to discredit the
American economic system -- capitalism -- and to show the working men that the answer to their troubles was socialism.
In fact, he dedicated his novel to the working men of America, and many editions of The Jungle still carry that
dedication.
Naturalism
When writing his book, Sinclair used a variety of styles and influences to create essentially a new type of novel.
Elements of naturalism exist throughout most of the text. Naturalism, as a type of literature, attempts to apply
scientific principles and detachment when studying humans. The characters created in naturalistic fiction are "human
beasts" who can be studied by examining their surroundings. Emile Zola provided the classical definition and
application of naturalism. When Sinclair was taking copious notes about his experiences in Chicago, he was being
a naturalist practitioner.
The literary components of character, setting, and theme are three areas where The Jungle exemplifies naturalistic
fiction tendencies. Characters in this genre typically are lower-class people who struggle against forces beyond
their control. The setting tends to be urban, and the details and examples used to show a slice of life often end
up being a chronicle of despair. It is extremely important that harsh realities be portrayed as such, no matter
how unsavory they may be. Only when novelists present all the facts do they finally reveal the truth. Finally,
two themes dominate naturalistic novels: survival and futile attempts to exercise free will. These themes are apparent
throughout The Jungle.
The Jungle, however, is not pure naturalism. Sinclair incorporates just enough of it to suit his rhetorical purpose.
Unlike pure Zolaism (another name for naturalism), Sinclair's The Jungle is lacking in objectivity: Sinclair clearly
sympathizes with the working class. Sinclair also saves Jurgis, the protagonist, from destruction. This totally
undermines the pessimistic naturalistic belief in futility.
Muckraking
In addition to elements of naturalism, Sinclair incorporates a variety of muckraking techniques. The muckrakers
were writers who used non-fiction -- particularly facts, figures, and laws -- to support their beliefs and reveal
abuses in business and government in their publications. Muckraking novels, also known as social protest novels,
exist to expose conditions that need to be changed. When muckraking novels move from exposing faults to advocating
a particular method as the only means for change, they're considered propaganda. Although most critics regard The
Jungle as propaganda, it differs from most propaganda novels whose authors readily concede bias. Sinclair considers
his work more than just a means to an end; that is, he felt he was creating quality literature that simultaneously
served as propaganda promoting socialism. Sinclair's political views and portrayal of life in the slums alienated
many readers who were uncomfortable reading about the realities of being poor, yet only in the final four chapters
of The Jungle does Sinclair's socialist propaganda take control of his narrative. Critics who routinely dismiss
The Jungle as propaganda are as guilty of misreading Sinclair's work as those who consider it only a muckraking
novel about the meatpacking industry.
Critical Reception
Granted, the ending of The Jungle reads as a treatise for socialism (it did first appear in a socialist newspaper),
and scholars often dismiss Sinclair and his work instead of trying to determine his place in American literature.
Very few contemporary critics consider The Jungle as favorably as Sinclair's socialist contemporary Jack London,
who claimed that "what Uncle Tom's Cabin did for black slaves, The Jungle has a large chance to do for the
wage slaves of today." The comparison to Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous book remains, and many critics think
these two works deserve special consideration, not so much for their literary merit, but for the impact they had
on the American public.
Still other critics recognize The Jungle as an early work, sort of a work in progress, for a future Pulitzer Prize
winning novelist, embracing the positive aspects and forgetting the rest. Even the lukewarm responses praise Sinclair's
incredible imagery and brutal realism. Thematically -- the notion that industry is a jungle and the law of the
jungle is survival of the fittest -- Sinclair's book is as relevant at the turn of the next century as it was 100
years ago.
Contemporary critics who regard Sinclair and The Jungle favorably note that capitalism often times does encourage
greed and ruthless competition and that many writers who state that the American dream is a myth are routinely
embraced by those who reject Sinclair.
Sinclair had no models or traditions to follow, so The Jungle became, as critic William A. Bloodworth, Jr. states,
"a flawed but strenuous effort" to create a new type of novel. Those in Sinclair's corner also claim
that social indignation is a legitimate aspiration for any novelist. The Jungle and Sinclair have endured, not
for any one particular reason, but rather, for a variety of reasons.
List Of Characters
Jurgis Rudkus The protagonist. He is a Lithuanian immigrant who believes in himself and his work ethic but finds
that making a living for his wife and family takes more than hard work and dedication. He believes in the American
dream and wants to make it a reality, but in the end, he discovers that he was following the wrong dream.
Ona Lukoszaite Jurgis' fiancée and later his wife. Her frail nature -- both physically and emotionally --
does not lend itself towards survival in the Packingtown jungle in which she must attempt to live.
Elzbieta Lukoszaite (Teta Elzbieta) Ona's stepmother. She endures one tragedy after another, never really living,
only surviving.
Marija Berczynskas Ona's cousin. Although the prototype of strength and endurance for most of the novel, she too
is eventually defeated by the capitalistic system, although she is matter-of-fact about her fate.
Jonas Elzbieta's brother. He comes to America with the rest of the family, but the only way he can survive is by
abandoning the family and taking care of himself.
Antanas Rudkus (Dede Antanas) Jurgis' father. From the onset, he is determined to contribute to the family's success
in Chicago; however, unlike in other countries, in the America he encounters the elderly are neither appreciated
nor respected, and he dies destitute and deceived.
Stanislovas, Kotrina, Vilimas, Nikalojus, Juozapas, Kristoforas Elzbieta's children. Illustrating the abuse children
suffered as a result of the industrial revolution, they all either die or are sent to work at much too young an
age.
Antanas Rudkus (Little Antanas) Only child of Ona and Jurgis. He is Jurgis' hope for the future but he suffers
a fate similar to his mother and cousins'.
Tamoszius Kuszleika A violinist. His passion for the violin exceeds his talent; for a while it seems that he and
Marija might marry, but they are not destined to be together.
Jokubas Szedvilas A fellow Lithuanian immigrant. He owns a delicatessen and introduces Jurgis and his family to
Packingtown.
The Widow Jukiene Jurgis' first landlady in Chicago. Twice Jurgis and his family are forced to rent "unthinkably
filthy" rooms from her.
Mike Scully The democratic boss of Packingtown. Jurgis would not be so eager to work for the man if he knew the
entire truth about Scully's involvement with Jurgis' family: Jurgis sees Scully as a powerful friend and ally,
but actually Scully is both directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of Ona and Little Antanas.
Phil Connor Ona's boss. He serves as a nemesis for Jurgis and illustrates the theory that might makes right. He
also demonstrates that it is not what you know but who you know that counts.
Jack Duane Jurgis' cellmate. He introduces Jurgis to the criminal world of Chicago.
Madame Haupt Ona's midwife. This "enormously fat" woman is unable to save either Ona or her baby.
Freddie Jones Son of Jurgis' former boss. This drunken playboy provides Jurgis with an unforgettable evening and
a $100 bill.
Buck Holloran and Bush Harper Members of Mike Scully's political machine who work with Jurgis. They make sure that
they take care of themselves first.
Ostrinski A tailor. He introduces the world of socialism from the workingman's perspective.
Tommy Hinds Jurgis' final boss. This hotelkeeper is one of the organizers of the state Socialist Party, and his
hotel is the site of many political discourses.
Lucas A traveling socialist speaker. Jurgis is one of the guests at a dinner party where this orator debates and
defines socialism.
Nicholas Schliemann A socialist theoretician. He, along with Lucas, serve to state Sinclair's view of socialism.
Although Jurgis hears him debate socialism with Lucas, he really exists as a way for Sinclair to talk to readers.
Summary
On one level, The Jungle is a gritty investigation into the meatpacking industry. On another, it is a serious
book of the times, challenging the policies and beliefs of our political organizations at the beginning of the
century. This is one of the first American social protest novels.
This concise supplement to Sinclair's The Jungle helps students understand the overall structure of the novel,
actions and motivations of the characters, and the sociala and cultural perspectives of the author.
Probe the Life and Background of the Author
Preview the novel in the Introduction to the Novel
Discover the themes in the Critical Commentaries
Examine in-depth Character Analyses
Explore the significance of the work with Critical Essays
Reinforce what you learn with CliffsNotes Review
Table of Contents
Life and Background of the Author.
Introduction to the Novel.
Critical Commentaries.