The Jungle | The Jungle

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: Chicago
Principal Characters: Jurgis Rudkus, Dede Antanas, Ona, Little Antanas, Elzbieta, Jonas, Marija
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

While he was still a peasant boy in Lithuania, Jurgis Rudkus had fallen in love with a gentle girl named Ona. When Ona’s father died, Jurgis, planning to marry her as soon as he had enough money, came to America with her family. Besides the young lovers, the emigrant party was composed of Dede Antanas, Jurgis’ father; Elzbieta, Ona’s stepmother; Jonas, Elzbieta’s brother; Marija, Ona’s orphan cousin; and Elzbieta’s six children. By the time the family arrived in Chicago, they had very little money. Jonas, Marija, and Jurgis at once got work in the...

The Jungle | The Jungle

At a glance:

The Story:

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