The Jungle Group

Question:

samtan
samtan
Student

What impression does The Jungle convey about immigrants in America?

what extent are the family members specifically Lithuanian, and to what extent do they represent immigrant in general. While the novel was extraordinarily sympathetic toward immigrants for its time, is it entirely free of condescension? Is the Rudkus family merely vulnerable and innocent, for example, or is it gullible?

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Posted by samtan on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at 9:24 PM and tagged with characters, immigrants, lithuanians, the jungle, themes.

Answers:


  1. dbello Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The Jungle by Upton Sinclair although written as a novel, exposed the unsanitary conditions in the Chicago meat packing industry. Known as a muckraker, Sinclair got a job in the Chicago meat packing industry and recorded his experience through prose.

    The impression The Jungle conveys regarding immigrants is this.... Immigrants learned fast that the streets were not paved with gold. American industrial might was met with a seemingly unending labor force which led to severe abuse of the labor force. The family was vulnerable, they were taken advantage of. I don't believe they were gullible because reality hit them over the head, these places were horrible to work in. It is worth noting that after President Theodore Roosevelt read The Jungle congressional legislation of the Meat Inspection Act and the Food and Drug Act (1905-06) was passed.      

    Sources:
    http://www.americanhistory.org
    http://www.enotes.com/jungle/historical-context
    http://www.enotes.com/jungle/themes

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    Posted by dbello on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at 10:19 PM