Examples Of Adapting To A Cruel World In The Jungle By Upton Sinclair

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Adapting to a Cruel World The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a perfect example of man vs. society. The brutal labor and poverty defines the harsh reality of this 1906 novel. While exploring this cruel society, Jurgis Rudkus, the protagonist, faces many hardships and becomes an acknowledgeable person. This is evident when Jurgis involves himself with barbaric working conditions, his vulnerable family, and socialist beliefs. The working condition of Durham’s meat-packing and fertilizer industries are extremely hazardous. The industry floors are described as “half an inch deep with blood” (43), and workers have little to no protection. Jurgis, a determined worker, labors for the sake of providing for his family. Naive as he is, Jurgis does not understand the unforgiving nature of the industry until it is too late. After injuring his leg, he is unable to support his family and realizes how cruel the world is. The working …show more content…

The importance of his family to him is evident when Ona passes away. In the moment, “An icy horror of loneliness seized him; he saw himself standing apart and watching all the world fade away from him---a world of shadows, of fickle dreams” (197). Though in despair, Jurgis grasps the situation and learns to move on. Almost as if a weight is off his chest, Jurgis learns to accept the inevitable fate of his family. As an effect, Jurgis invests his time elsewhere: Socialism. After being heavily swayed by the speeches of a Socialist, he begins to think on his own. A Socialist party is described as, “a really democratic political organization---it was controlled absolutely by its own membership, and had no bosses” (325). The Socialistic views cause Jurgis to act more independently. From a previous history of tyrant bosses, the idea of Socialism opened up new possibilities to him. The Socialist party set Jurgis off to a new path and assisted his journey to

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