"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair

"The Jungle" is a novel written by Upton Sinclair and was published in 1906.

         One of the most influential muckrakers was Upton Sinclair in publishing his novel “The Jungle” which exposed the unsanitary and dangerous working conditions of the Chicago meatpacking industry. ¹ The novel follows an immigrant man who endures the brutal working conditions and low wages of the meatpacking industry in a pursuit to provide for his family. He additionally experiences the corrupt practices of the industry, and Sinclair intended for the book to expose the reality of the capitalist system and the absolute need for labor reform through regulations. ¹

           While analyzing the response to “The Jungle”, Eric Arnesen states, ²Part of a wave of hard-hitting muckraking investigations of corruption in American politics and business during the Progressive era, the book captured even President Theodore Roosevelt's attention (if not appreciation, for Roosevelt came to hold in contempt) and generated popular support for modest if important national legislation establishing health and inspection standards for the meat industry. ² Sinclair was able to have a significant impact on the public and the President through his classic work of American literature.

¹ Sinclair, Upton. “The Jungle” New York: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1906.

² Arnesen, Eric. "Muckraker Upton Sinclair--beyond 'The Jungle': [Chicagoland Final Edition]" Chicago Tribune; Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]. 02 July 2006: 14.9.

³ Sinclair, Upton. "The Jungle" American Literature, 2022