The Jungle

Dreams are defined as something that is most desirable or ideal. In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, the main characters dreams are evident from the very beginning. The Rudkus clan is comprised of: Jurgis; his father, Dede Antanus; his fiancee, Ona; Ona's Aunt, Elzbieta; Elzbieta's children; and Ona's cousin, Marija; and Ona's uncle, Jonas. The entire group are Lithuanian immigrants who have come to Chicago in the early twentieth century. When they arrive in America, they believe they are just a small step from achieving their dreams of a better life, but in all reality, they couldn't have been further from it.

Jurgis is a strong man who believes that hard work pays off. He dreams of a nice home for his new wife Ona, and a happy family. When they are advised to go to the packing district called, "Packingtown", he soon learns that these dreams are unattainable to him.

He gets a job in a factory based off of his muscular build and becomes part of an efficient process of harvesting meat. He earns a wage that seemed preposterous, even at that time. Even though Jurgis is only making a minuscule amount, he continues to work because of the family's small income. Jurgis also knows that he must save enough money to have a proper wedding ceremony. After the wedding ceremony, they are in an even tighter pinch for money. Jonas takes off, they lose his income, and Dede Antanus passes away from a rattling cough that he developed from the pickling room. The family loses their home when Jurgis gets arrested for beating a man who took advantage of his wife, Ona. The dream of a financial stability and a beautiful home for Ona, soon escapes him.

When Jurgis was released from jail, he still had the hopes of a happy family. Jurgis walked through the door of the boardinghouse where his family had been renting a room, and realized his wife was in labor with their second child. The odd thing was that the women will not let him go see his wife and be the first to greet his new child. Something horrible happened and the birth was not going to be easy for Ona. Jurgis rushed to find a midwife, despite his lack of payment for her. Although Jurgis found a woman to help, Ona and the baby don't survive. Jurgis pushed through the pain and turned to alcoholism. He worked at the fertilizer plant and suffered conditions that one can only attempt to understand. One day he returned home and found that his first son, little Antanus had drown in the streets; his last remaining family member had died. Jurgis's goal of a happy family had been demolished.

These horrible events were carefully drafted by Upton Sinclair to plant certain ideas in the minds of his readers. The book was published during a time where these events were quite common in large industrial towns. Meat was processed in such horrible conditions, and The Jungle properly portrays the process of meat packing and the lives of the industrial workers during the early twentieth century. This book has touched my heart, and forced me to look at large industries through different eyes.