The Jungle (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Upton Sinclair
- First Published: 1906
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: The meatpacking district of Chicago, Illinois
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Factories, Family or family life, Politics, Socialism, Twentieth century, American Dream, Chicago, Poverty or poor people, Immigration or emigration, Adultery, Politicians, Working class, Tuberculosis, Unions or unionism, Fraud, Meat, Sanitation
- Locales: Chicago, IL, Lithuania
Characters Discussed
Jurgis Rudkus (YOHR-gihs RUHD-kihs), a Lithuanian immigrant overflowing with the American dream of self-made success. Jurgis arrives in the United States determined to succeed; nothing in his life works out, however. When things go against him, he vows only to work harder, and he is not given to complaining. He delays his marriage for sixteen months in order to buy a house and provide for his wife’s family. When he injures his ankle in the killing beds of a meatpacking plant, he has to miss work because of his injury and is fired. He takes a lesser job...
[The entire page is 928 words long]
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