The Jungle Upton Sinclair Language Analysis

How did Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” Impact the Meat Factories during the Progressive Age? During the late 1800s and early 1900s a new stage in the United States began, called the Progressive Era. Over the years, America developed into an industrial working country although, like every country the social and economical problems were becoming an issue. Those who were on top were corrupted and vile while those who did the majority of the work took long hours and low pay.

When Jurgis first arrives to America, he is horrified by the filthy conditions people live in, but continues to be optimistic, ambitious, and caring. Jurgis’ family had come to America because Jonas, Teta’s brother, told them about a man, Jokubas, who had prospered in America. However, when they happened to meet him, they found that he was financially unstable, and struggling, proving the American Dream to be a façade. His family continues on to be exploited by many businessmen, like when they bought a house due to misleading advertisements which contained hidden expenses, and when a politician showed Jurgis how to vote. This, along with how meat packing is done for maximum profit by selling even filthy meat, shows how corrupt capitalism had made America.

The immigrants were “low-class and mostly foreign, hanging always on the verge of starvation, and dependent for its opportunities of life upon the whim of men every bit as brutal and unscrupulous as the old-time slave-drivers” (Sinclair 113). Jurgis and his family are exposed to harsh conditions such as dangerous chemicals, extreme cold, poison, and disease. Not only did these conditions affect the workers, but also the meat. Borax was used to clean the meat of bacteria. The plants would reuse spoiled meat and turn it into sausage.

The story describes the disgusting conditions and detail of the meatpacking facilities which was one of the main reasons for writing this novel. Sinclair describes how the animals were packed in the stockyards and slaughtered in unsanitary conditions. Jurgis faces the chance of death each day he arrives at work. The family is hit by debt, illness and bad weather throughout the story but still have to trudge on to pay off the debt created by the wedding. The families lose and gain unsteady jobs as the story goes on but never anything

In The Jungle Upton Sinclair tried to expose how cruel slaughterhouses were to the animals and how poor the quality of the meat was. Sinclair investigated a slaughter house with the eye witness of two immigrants. The slaughterhouse they went to was willing to and made a great effort of showing visitors their facility. The immigrant Jokubas had a suspicion that the slaughterhouse would limit what the visitors see and tries to make the slaughterhouse seem ethical. The slaughterhouse has to filter what they showed to visitors, especially after when Sinclair tried to expose them.

Although this novel gained most of its fame for exposing the horrific conditions present in the meat-packing industry, rather than for its main intended purpose of speaking out for the immigrant workers, The Jungle had a great impact on the United States, as it led to a government response that improved the safety and wellbeing of both the producer and the

He intended to show the public the horrifying effects capitalism had on workers in the Chicago meatpacking industry. He hoped his exposing would cause reforms. In his book, Sinclair described how workers labored long hours in cold, and cramped conditions. How they caught diseases, lost fingers, nails, and even limbs by acid, and unsanitary locations. However the public’s outcry was more focused on Sinclair uncovering of the products being sold to the general public, rather than workers plight.

In February 1906, Upton Sinclair would write and publish his fictional novel The Jungle. This book, which was intended to focus on the exploited workers in the meat industry would depict the unsanitary conditions for a mere 10 pages. Missing the point of the novel, Americans were disgusted by the conditions of the packing plants, rather than outrage at the mistreatment of the workers at these plants (Kauffman). The Jungle spurred new legislation, but this legislation wasn’t the first that called for such standards. In 1641, the Massachusetts Colony had passed the Meat and Fish Inspection document which prohibited selling “diseased, corrupted, contagious or unwholesome provisions” (Massachusetts Act against Selling Unwholesome Provisions).

In early 1900, specifically, 1906, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair was written. This novel told the story of a Lithuanian immigrant who worked in a filthy Chicago meatpacking plant. It exposed the meatpacking industry by stating their vile practices not only towards their meat but their workers as well. This was a result of the combination of many immigrants in the United States to pursue a better life, and the fact that many big industries were looking for ways to maximize their profit.

Although it may seem that the meat packing industry is still in turmoil because of their unwillingness to make known what foods have Genetically Modified organisms present, the meat packing industry was much worse during the 1900’s because of the unsafe working conditions, and uncleanliness of the food. Body 1: The meat packing industry’s working conditions were much worse in the 1900’s than they are today. In the novel The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, working conditions were horrible for immigrants who were employed in these factories. People in these factories were worked very hard and used up till they could not work anymore. In the novel Jurgis broke his ankle because of the unsafe

February 26, 1906, Upton Sinclair published his novel titled “The Jungle”, which informed its readers about the unsanitary practices and health violations that occurred in the meatpacking industry in America. Due to the information that Americans were receiving about what went into their packaged meat, citizens demanded that something must change. The FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, was almost a direct result of Upton’s novel. They made sure that the events going on in the factories would not continue, so the FDA passed various laws and regulations regarding the meatpacking industry.

Jurgis started off firmly believing on his American dream of having a better life where he would work hard and earn lots of money. He took up work in a meatpacking plant where he had to sweep blood and body parts of slaughtered cattle. The job was unsafe and the conditions were bitter but he continued working a he was happy to get a job so fast. In the packinghouses the condition were deplorable, every part of the animal was used to make profit. Even spoiled meat was marked as good and sold out to public.

This problem led to new food safety laws. “Upton Sinclair fought against social injustices in the United States. Through his work the The Jungle, Upton exposed the corrupt, unclean practices of the meat-packing industry”( Upton sinclair ). Upton Sinclair exposed the unsanitary process of meat packing. Upton described the meat as diseased , rotten and contaminated meat.

Nonetheless, Sinclair uses a large amount of symbolism to get his point across. The gruesome slaughter of the animals reflects on the struggles of the family and is reminiscent of how their superiors treat them. The canned meat symbolizes the corruption of capitalism and its attraction to immigrants. The cans look shiny and appetizing from the outside, but hold disgusting meat on the inside, which is similar to the expectations and reality of the family’s living situation. It is also similar to the animals on the inside of the can.

They take you on a journey full of dream-crushing brutality and deception of what seems to be the ideal place to work and built a life. They settle near the stockyards and meatpacking district, where Jurgis finds his first job at Brown’s slaughterhouse. Jurgis, thinking the U.S. offered more freedom, finds that the working conditions there are very