The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - Essay Example

"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair Plot summary The protagonists of the novel are Jurgis Rudkus and Ona Lukoskaite, a married couple that has just emigrated from Lithuania to Chicago. The two hold a wedding feast in a bar at a part of Chicago called Packingtown. Rudkus and Lukoskaite represent many people who have migrated to Chicago in search of better employment opportunities and a good life. However, the irony is that, Packington is an area in Chicago that is dangerous, difficult to find a job and filthy. The couple realizes that in America, one needs to work extremely hard in order to transform their lifestyle contrary to the stories they had in Lithuania that America is a land of opportunities (Bloom 12). Jurgis is young and energetic; hence it does not take long for him to get a job, just like do Marija, Jonas and Teta, who are their close relatives. The family agrees to purchase a house, but this does not materialize since the deal is simply a swindle; there are too many hidden aspects of the agreement, and the house is poorly maintained and shoddy. Later, we learn that the family’s expenses are enhanced, which forces even Ona to seek employment. It is really difficult to land a job in Packingtown because the working conditions are very hard and unsafe. Besides, there is no disregard for workers’ safety in this region. Moreover, the immigrant community in Packingtown is exposed to corruption and crime, which extremely complicates life in the area. We are informed that Dede Antanas, the father of Jurgis, lands a job, but, this he achieves through corrupt means. Late, the old man succumbs to death since the job he got was too difficult for him (Bloom 25). Winter according to the author is the most dangerous period in Packington, and this even translates into the working conditions. For example, we are informed that the place that Jurgis works in brings risks into his life each time he goes for work. There are too many hardships as evidenced by various events in the novel. For example, Marija and Tamoszius are never able to marry due to financial difficulties. Later, Marija’s financial woes worsen since her factory closes down and she later loses her job. Jurgis is very stressed about these living conditions of his family members, which prompts him to join a union. It is at this union that Jurgis starts to get enlightened concerning corruption, fraud and bribery, three vices that make sure that Packingtown is able to conduct its affairs. Jurgis wants to improve his family woes very much to the point of starting to learn English. At Packingtown, it was easier to adjust to life if one was conversant with English since it was the language that was used by most people (Bloom 37). From the tale, we learn that, Jurgis’ family members face extreme hardships as they try to settle in Packingtown permanently. We learn that Marija is fired from her job even after regaining it later, Ona gets pregnant and as a result, her job becomes an extremely difficult affair. Later, Ona gives birth to a boy who is named Antanas, in memory of Jurgis’s late father. Her bosses do not even sympathize with her situation since they compel her to resume working after just seven days of leave. Many mishaps in this region have ensured that families are easily ruined. For example, when Jurgis is injured, he is bedridden for a period of three months, unable to perform any work. His accident had been caused by poor working conditions at the factory, but, the factory does not consider this. Instead, they scrap him off from the pay list. Jonas is unable to put up with this misery, hence he runs away from the family without ever informing anyone of his actions. The family’s problems are compounded because the youngest child of Teta passes on from poisoning. Jurgis does not give up at this point; and instead he takes a very long time trying to look for a job. He is so frustrated that he decides to take up a job in a fertilizer plant that is close to his home. He is forced to do this since he feels that his family extremely depended on him for upkeep, hence, the longer he stayed without a job, the longer it was really tough for them. However, all we can do is pity Jurgis since the factory is one of the foulest areas of Packtown. As a result of this, Jurgis tries to console himself through alcohol consumption (Bloom 45). We learn that Ona has become pregnant again. One night, she never shows up home work. Jurgis discovers that it is her boss, Phil Connor, who had retained her behind for extra work, and in the process forced her to sleep with him. Out of anger, Jurgia attacks Connor and this culminates in his arrest. Jurgis is not given a fair hearing by the justice system, and, thus, he is unfairly sentenced for a month period in prison. This is really going to affect his family as he is the breadwinner, but they are required to maintain their support for Jurgis. Upon his release, Jurgis realizes that his family had suffered very much during the period of his imprisonment. For one, the family had been evicted from the house that they were living in upon his arrest. They have since gone to another place that is way cheaper. Upon his arrival, he finds Ola in labor pains and in the effort of trying to deliver her, Jurgis kills the baby and Ola simultaneously. These hits Jurgis really had, which prompts him to go for a drinking binge (Bloom 48). Jurgis is well advised by close family friends like Teta who tells him that it is pointless worrying over the death. This gives him extreme courage that he is able to recollect himself and start looking for a job again. There is a philanthropic woman who later comes up and assists Jurgis land a proficient job at a steel company. This job transforms him because, through it, Jurgis has a renewed hope and expectations in life. He is focused in ensuring that his son Antanas is fine and well taken care of. However, Jurgis’ problems seem to be increasing witgh each passing time. Later, his son Antanas drowns and this almost turns him into a crazy person. Jurgis abandons his family that is survived, and decides to wander off into the countryside as a hopeless man. Winter comes up again, and Jurgis returns to Chicago and he is again lucky to land a job as a casual laborer. The work is dangerous since it involves digging tunnels. After some time, he is injured while working, and this drives him to be admitted in the hospital since the injuries were very severe. Upon his release from hospital, he is unable to fend for himself since he didi not have enough savings and also because, he was not retained in the job. This drives him to become a beggar as a result of desperation and hopelessness. Sometime later, his anger drives him to attack a man and this lands him in jail again. He again meets Jack Duane, and after their release, they become partners in crime. The two become notoriously muggers and burglars, which uplift the profile of Jurgis as a dangerous and proficient criminal. He, therefore, gets hired by the corrupt politician, Mike Sully. , he is sent to prison as a result of being violent. Upon release, he starts living on charity. At this time period, Jurgis would not trace even a single member of his family (Bloom 49). However, he finds someone who tells him that Marija had turned onto prostitution as a way of supporting Teta and the other children. He also leant that marija had turned into a serious drug addict. He really wishes to see them, but is unable due to financial constraints. In a particular night, Jurgis finds himself attending a socialist political rally that turns out to be a piece of motivation. In the rally, there is an orator who gives a speech that extremely captivates Jurgis and gets him reflecting about his life. This drives him to join the socialist party and he is strongly for the idea that not a few individuals should own large factories. He later gets a good job in a hotel run by socialists, and at this place, is re-united by Teta. By being a socialist, his new belief is that if all people are able to convert and become socialists, then Chicago will be the place for all. Therefore, this has ensured that Jurgis has forgotten his past tribulations, and he is now ready to start leading a new lifestyle (Bloom 56). Thematic concerns When writing the book, the author had various thematic concerns in mind, which has ensured that the message has been passed effectively to the readers. These themes have ensured that the author has been able to discuss about social and political events in America in the contemporary world. The major themes highlighted by the author’s work are socialism and the evils of capitalism; the immigration experience; corruption; family and tradition; a) Socialism and evils of capitalism This is the major theme in the novel, and it has been used effectively by the author to show people that capitalism has caused massive problems to be in the contemporary world. Jurgis’s immigrant family faces gradual but total annihilation upon their migration to Chicago as a result of falling into the hands of a brutal and prejudiced economic and social American system. This shows that capitalism has had a profound effect on the working class in America. Jurgis faces extreme hardship all along the novel since he dealt with capitalist individuals, but at the end, we notice that his life changes when he starts embracing socialist ideas. Therefore, the motive of the author is to depict capitalism as a total evil which brings misery to people who practice it, be it children or adults (Bloom 56). According to the author, socialism seems to be the cure for all social and economic problems that are facing the world. When we are introduced to socialism towards the end of the novel, the author is simply trying to depict capitalism as an evil entity. Therefore, the biggest social message of the novel is persuading the reader to adopt socialism since it is the road to societal morality and success. b) The Immigrant Experience Another social message by the author is the plight of immigrants into America. Sinclair has used Lithuanian immigrants to discuss the plight of immigrant working class people in America. We are told that Jurgis, Teta and their families emigrate from Lithuania as a result of the belief that they will get a good life and high incomes in the US. They believe that their lives will be transformed as a result of working hard and being moral people. However, this is not the case because; the prejudicial capitalist society suppresses them. Instead of finding a land of acceptance and extreme opportunity, what they encounter is a land full of exploitation, suffering and prejudicial treatment. The author has succeeded in bringing this social and political tenet well since we are all able to empathize with the situation that Jurgis and his family finds themselves in. In fact, all of them die except Teta and Jurgis (Bloom 76). c) Corruption Another social message by the author is that corruption and graft are social injustices that are extensive in America. In jungles, we learn of a society whereby one is only able to succeed only after buying success through corruption. When Jurgis and his family come to America, what they find is a society whereby crime, corruption and graft are the tools that are used by one who intends to succeed. An example is told of Jurgis’ father; despite his advanced age, he is forced to look for a job so that he would be able to fend for himself. He bribes someone so that he would be connected to a job. He succeeds in getting the job, but, he later collapses dead since the work was too tedious for a man his age. The author asserts that the whole community in Packingtown is wholly trying to take advantage of each other through corruption and shady dealings. Threfore, life in Parkingtown has become harder and harder for immigrant communities due to the social instances; corruption, crime and graft. Besides, laws were not enforced in this region which ensured that proponents of these crimes would go scot free each time they conducted the crimes. The author is asserting that a capitalist society always exposes one to these social injustices, but a socialist one makes one evade them. Sinclair has been successful in explaining this to the reader through his use of Jurgis. In the final chapters, we see that Jurgis’ life has a new meaning and most of his sufferings are alleviated the moment he encounters socialism (Bloom 89). d) Family and Tradition The author has explained about capitalism and the effects that it has on family and tradition. At the beginning, we are introduced to a happy family that is celebrating a wedding feast. However, capitalism disintegrates this family markedly as a result of its evil. With progression of the story, family unity ceases because individual characters are expected to take charge of their lives in society. Teta and Jurgis are portrayed by the author as the only people who have withstood capitalistic forces and ensure that their families are moving. Jurgis worked very hard for his family, and his reunion with Teta at the end offers optimism to the reader concerning a potent family future. Strengths and weakness of the Novel The author has succeeded in outlining the themes of her story by giving noteworthy illustrations. From her illustrations, we are able to infer about her social message that has been propagated through the protagonist; Jurgis. The title of the novel is another success in that it depicts the society in which immigrants lived as a jungle whereby the strong survive and the weak are oppressed. This is the rule of capitalism. The major weakness in the novel is that the author has over-dwelled on misfortunes faced by Jurgis. This seems hyperbolical in the sense that, Jurgis and his family members face extreme hardships regardless of the amount of effort they put to realize success. However much this is true, implying that families can be disintegrated completely upon migrating to America is a bit hyperbolical and simply exaggerates about the negative consequences of capitalism. From the novel, it is difficult to discern fiction from reality. For example, the extreme physical abuse that exists in the novel seems like imaginations by the author since it is unlikely that that occurs in real life situations. Therefore, her novel has been described by critics as a propaganda novel. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Upton Sinclair's The jungle. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. print Read More