The American Dream In Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle'
Kalos Soriano
Ms. Wiencek
English 2A Hour 4
May 8, 2023
Survival of the Privileged “Instead of a promised land, the family finds a land where greed and exploitation rule.” (Munro 1). What distinguishes someone as an “American”—is it having citizenship in America, or is it the support of the ideology of capitalism? Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle offers perspectives on what it means to be American, as well as the false reality of the “American Dream” and examples of the hardship’s immigrants faced while living in the late 1900s. The American Dream is a concept that has been celebrated in American culture as a symbol of hope and opportunity for individuals seeking a better life. However, Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle reveals the harsh realities
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The “American Dream” is just a loop that makes one seem like they are achieving their desired goals but end up falling back down. Jurgis is a perfect example of this. Jurgis and Ona are immigrant from Lithuania and see America is a place of prosperity and hope. Munro sates that “…The American Dream creates a false sense of hope and opportunity for individuals who are convinced that they can achieve success through hard work and determination, regardless of their social or economic background.” (Munro 2). Jurgis believes that with hard work and dedication they can live comfortably. This “Dream” is furthest from the truth. The “American Dream” comes with the ideas of capitalism, and the ideology exploits the working class to just give more money and power to the already wealthy upper-class. Capitalism includes terrible working conditions, child labor, prostitution, political …show more content…
The novel is a vivd depiction of the struggles of a Lithuanian immigrant family in Chicago, as they try to make a living in the meatpacking industry. A key element in being “American” and an immigrant is having to be dedicated and persistent. Looking past the hardships at the moment, but to see what will come in the future when all of the hard work is done. According to Lynn Munro, writer of a literary criticism of The Jungle,
“Jurgis personifies their defiance, constantly vowing to work harder and refusing to accept the systemic causes of his sufferings. He dedicates himself to achieving the American Dream and is convinced that through his own resolve and determination he can provide for his family and loved ones and rise through the system”
Summary Of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
608 Words | 3 PagesWhen Jurgis first arrives to America, he is horrified by the filthy conditions people live in, but continues to be optimistic, ambitious, and caring. Jurgis’ family had come to America because Jonas, Teta’s brother, told them about a man, Jokubas, who had prospered in America. However, when they happened to meet him, they found that he was financially unstable, and struggling, proving the American Dream to be a façade. His family continues on to be exploited by many businessmen, like when they bought a house due to misleading advertisements which contained hidden expenses, and when a politician showed Jurgis how to vote. This, along with how meat packing is done for maximum profit by selling even filthy meat, shows how corrupt capitalism had made America.
Summary Of The Jungle By Upton Sinclair
553 Words | 3 PagesThe Jungle is a 1906 novel written by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the book to describe the harsh conditions in his life. I would describe Sinclair's vision of the American dream is to be free and to do as you want. He thought that it was supposed to be different and you should be free , and to do whatever you want to do. In the book he went and moved to start over in a new life.
Summary Of The Jungle By Upton Sinclaire
606 Words | 3 PagesThroughout The Jungle, Upton Sinclaire’s social political agenda was very clear. When Jurgis and his family first arrive in America, they had high hopes and believed that they could achieve the American dream. However, we see a transformation in the family’s view of capitalism as they continue to face hardships. Sinclaire portrays big business as antagonistic through corporate leaders exploiting and taking advantage of their workers. As an author, Upton Sinclaire wanted to expose the flaws and horrors of capitalism to the public and used his characters to depict the lives of many immigrant workers struggling under the power and corruptness of American capitalism.
Summary Of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
694 Words | 3 PagesWritten by Upton Sinclair in 1906, The Jungle is a novel meant to describe the social and political situation of the time, having as a basis his undercover investigation in a meatpacking plant in Chicago, for the socialist newspaper Appeal to Reason. The story, set in the Chicago of the time, describes the life of a group of immigrants that, persuaded by the idea of the American Dream, embarked themselves in the most important journey of their lives. In the city, they would have to overcome the many challenges that an industrial city holds, such as the meatpacking industry, that sells spoiled meat, and oppresses workers, having to work long hours for a minimum wage. The book soon became one of the most influential books of its time. It turned
Summary Of The Jungle By Upton Sinclair
1463 Words | 6 PagesThe injured immigrants in the factories slowly start to die off including some of jurgis' family members. Those who did not die physically begin to die emotionally. Jurgis begins to see the American dream as nothing but a façade. Jurgis and Ona's family all have to start working just to get by. The dream is lost and desperation has set in.
How Does The Jungle And Alger Convey Alternative Realities Of The American Dream
1745 Words | 7 PagesIn Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick differentiating versions and explorations of the American Dream are illustrated through the fictional lives of characters through syntax and imagery, with influences by historical context and the authors background. Horatio and Alger convey alternative realities of the dream, by conveying their character's journey to success, and the outcome they succumb to. The myth of American is exposed within the two in the hope that lives in both.
How Does Upton Sinclair Present Socialism In The Jungle
855 Words | 4 PagesThe imagined American dream came up frequently in the novel, but the imagined dream was just imaginary. During the industrial revolution America was filled with corruption and was not exactly the free country that was imagined. The immigrants became like slaves to the corporate men who ran the companies.’ One point that stood out to me was how Jurgis was always willing to work even the toughest jobs. The American dream was just not created, it was earned by people like Jurgis who are willing to put in the effort and luckily, he did reap the benefits
Capitalism Exposed In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
485 Words | 2 PagesUpton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”, was published in 1906 to shed light on the harsh realities faced by the working class in America during the 20th century. The novel depicts themes of the grueling immigrant experience and the evils of capitalism. Sinclair uses these themes to inform readers of the struggle and harshness of life during this time and to represent the need for labor rights. The story begins by introducing the main character, Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant.
Upton Sinclair's Jungle Conditions
1059 Words | 5 PagesThe Cruel Conditions of A Jungle Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle, introduces Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant who enters America with his wife Ona. Jurgis is a strong individual who is eager to learn more about the American dream, but the miserable working and living conditions in Packingtown starts to make an impact in his life that will cause him to struggle in supporting his family. Firstly, this story takes place in the twentieth century, and depicts a Lithuanian family who decides to move to Chicago trying to find a better life.
The Germ Of Hope In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
597 Words | 3 Pageshe muckraking novel, The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair does not only expose the secrets of the meat industry in Chicago in the early twentieth century, but tells of the hardships a family of Lithuanian immigrants had to go through when trying to create a better life in the United States. Even when the cold winter blew in and their lives in America were not off to the greatest start, “...the germ of hope was not to be kept from sprouting in their hearts” (Sinclair 69). Jurgis and his family go through many ups and downs as the novel continues, but their determination never diminishes as each person tries their hardest to find a good job and keep a high spirit. This “germ of hope” was found in the hearts and souls of thousands of immigrants in the United States at this time since
The American Dream In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
775 Words | 4 PagesThe Jungle was worte in the 1900s by a man named Upton Sinclair. Upton Sinclair's main theme he wanted his readers to see was: the corruption, problems with immigrants, the hollowness of the American Dream, socialism, and so much more in in America . Even Though, this was just a piece of the handful of problems in America and still gave him the great title of a muckraker, which is someone who exposed the bad things in America. During the novel he gave many points, more than any other theme of just how bad America was with treating immigrants.
The Economic Tension In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
1899 Words | 8 PagesUpton Sinclair portrays the economic tension in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through his novel “The Jungle”. He used the story of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, to show the harsh situation that immigrants had to face in the United States, the unsanitary and unsafe working conditions in the meatpacking plants, as well as the tension between the capitalism and socialism in the United States during the early 1900s. In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, there were massive immigrants move into the United States, and most of them were from Europe. The protagonist, Jurgis Rudkus, like many other immigrants, have the “America Dream” which they believe America is heaven to them, where they can
The Jungle Thesis
580 Words | 3 PagesThe novel The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair, uses the story of an immigrant family from Lithuania to represent the trials and errors of an immigrant family during the Industrial Revolution. The Jungle’s main story introduces Jurgis Rudkus, an immigrant arriving in Chicago, who struggles to work in harsh conditions and provide for his large family. Upton Sinclair exposes the inner workings of how immigrants survive the battles of poverty and how the injustices within the government can drive a person wild. Upton Sinclair uses The Jungle to display the horrific experiences that immigrant families face when coming to America. Most urban populations during the Industrial Revolution are immigrants, which increases the competition for work.
The Working Class In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
1419 Words | 6 PagesThe Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair, was created with the purpose of exposing the unsanitary practices of the meat industry but also depicting the culture of the working class. Before laws were enacted protecting workers, mistreatment from employers and companies was a huge issue all over the United States. The Jungle helps put the past into perspective, and through its readings, one can come to the conclusion that life back then, thanks to working conditions, culture, and corruption, was less than enjoyable. First and foremost, the setting and characters in The Jungle reflect the immigration status of the United States during the time. Located in Chicago during the late 19th century, the audience is introduced to a Lithuanian wedding where
What Is The American Dream In The 1920s
650 Words | 3 PagesThe American dream is an illusion that is deeply implanted in the minds of the people, it sets a bar for life achievement and offers hope to work hard to achieve their dreams. As for Americans, they are raised in a society to where they are expected to make lots money and to have a healthy family. After all in our society success is largely based off positions of power and financial stability. For example, in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there were multiple interpretations of the ideal American dream in the 1920s. In the 1920s, due to the growth of materialism, people advertised and fancied the power of money to fulfilling their dreams.
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