Analysis of “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair and the implications of immigrants striving to attain the American dream.
This paper summarizes the main points of the book, while examining the capitalistic implications of the immigrant family’s experiences and horrific situations they face. The trials and tribulations of one such immigrant family are written about in detail.
Upton Sinclair’s devotion to shedding light on the corruptive system known as capitalism is evident and clearly illustrated in The Jungle. Sinclair uses a fictional family of immigrants from Lithuania to display his theory that capitalism has no ends beyond a corruptive, manipulative and eventually deadly demise. Jurgis Rudkus, then hopeful and optimistic, convinces his then fiancee, her family, and his own to leave Lithuania to pursue his dream of wealth and comfort in America. Rudkus forms a dream of sorts of what American society can offer to him and his family. The story begins at Jurgis’ and Ona’s ceremonial Lithuania wedding that illustrates that the family is not going to fully assimilate into American life, but rather implement their religious and cultural former lives into their new lives in America.