The Jungle, Upton Sinclair’s 1906 international bestseller, depicts in vivid detail the shocking labor practices and unsanitary working conditions in meat-packing factories of the era. This potent novel, a fictionalized account of Chicago’s Packingtown slum and the immigrant families who live and work there, was a catalyst for reform within the industry, and still retains its grisly impact.
Jurgis Rudkus, an impoverished Lithuanian immigrant, takes a lowly job at Brown’s slaughterhouse to support his young wife and their relatives. Once admiring America for its potential, Rudkus has found opportunities to be too far out of his reach. After being evicted, Rudkus is living in a slum and deeply in debt, unable to support his family. As he attempts to make ends meet, the oppressive working conditions and crippling poverty begin to take a toll on Rudkus and his family.
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“[Sinclair] saw through the lies of his era and exposed a world long hidden from view. He showed compassion for the weak and the poor, the powerless and the despised. He created images and characters that are poignant and memorable.”
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Eric Schlosser, New York Times bestselling author