The Jungle by Upton Sinclair : Immigrant labourers in slaughtering house - Essay Example

Industrialization began in 18th century in the European countries. It later spread to the entire world. Rise of industrialization transforms a society socially and economically. Though a marked positive impact on the economy and living standards are seen, negative impacts also characterize (Lipset and Bendix 203). It is important to understand the extent of industrialization especially when improving the society. In “The Jungle,” Jurgis’ woes are caused by industrialization. His family migrates into USA in search for a better life only to encounter endless problems.

Though industrialization is vital for community development, it has negative impacts that affect development. The negative impacts and negligence Industrialization leads to the construction of factories and processing plants. Employees transform raw materials into finished goods. Additionally, new factories established in a relatively new sector are likely to experience substandard processes leading to unfavorable work conditions due to lack of insight and proper authority structures to govern business operations.

There is need to identify each challenge separately and seek the appropriate measures accordingly (Kennedy 89). Government is the protector of people’s law. . According to the novel by Sinclair, the working conditions in the warehouse for the manual laborers were appalling. The workers were mostly immigrants who had little choice concerning the shift of jobs. High unemployment rates predisposed the workers to slavery, poor working conditions and little pay. Injuries to workers were common though the management ignored.

The injured workers did not receive compensation. Injuries included arm and shoulder injuries, cuts on hands and fingers as well as chemical burns (Sinclair 140). Recent studies by The Association Press indicate that USA currently records the greatest gap between the highest income earners and the lowest income earners. Unemployment rates for the lower margin group, those households earning below $ 20,000 annually, increases at a steady rate reaching 21%. This record was never reached since the Great depression of 1930s.

The households earning above $150,000 annually record unemployment rate of 3.2%. In comparison, the higher margin earners readily get employment while the lower margin group struggles with unemployment. The study shows that the middle-class earners are increasingly seeking lower-income jobs, steadily pushing the less-skilled workers out of employment (Yen 1). This portrays the divergence of standards of living brought about by industrialization under capitalism. In his novel, Sinclair portrays the gap between the laborers and the management.

He explains that the senior workers had better living standards attributable to corruption and disregard of human rights. The laborers who could not influence any changes to their advantage remained in poverty with everyday’s meal becoming a