the jungle essay

Upton Sinclair

Everything you need for every book you read..

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Upton Sinclair's The Jungle . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Jungle: Introduction

The jungle: plot summary, the jungle: detailed summary & analysis, the jungle: themes, the jungle: quotes, the jungle: characters, the jungle: symbols, the jungle: literary devices, the jungle: theme wheel.

Historical Context of The Jungle

Other books related to the jungle.

• Full Title: The Jungle
• When Written: 1906
• Where Written: Chicago, Illinois
• When Published: 1906, serialized version first published in 1905.
• Literary Period: Muckraking journalism
• Genre: Muckraking journalism/historical fiction
• Setting: "Packingtown," the miserable community of immigrant laborers near Chicago's industrial meatpacking area.
• Climax: The book's very last line, in which an ambitious socialist speaker yells, "Chicago will be ours!" following a surprisingly strong showing in an election.
• Antagonist: Capitalist corruption, as embodied by Phil Connor.
• Point of View: Omniscient third-person narrator.

Extra Credit for The Jungle

Eat Your Heart Out. While The Jungle was designed to elicit compassion for poor immigrant laborers in the United States, the book's most viscerally provocative element was its lurid description of the meatpacking industry's unhygienic practices. As a result, two pieces of legislation, U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act, were passed in 1906 to assuage Americans' newfound concerns about the safety of their food. Surprised and somewhat disgruntled by the public's priorities for reform, Sinclair remarked, "I aimed at the public's heart and by accident I hit it in the stomach."

Don't Get Cocky. Sinclair's fervent idealism likely interfered with his more practical ambitions. In 1933, while he was still campaigning for governor of California, he published the boldly-titled book, I, Governor of California And How I Ended Poverty: A True Story of the Future . After a loss in the general gubernatorial election deflated his hubris, Sinclair published another book: I, Candidate for Governor and How I Got Licked.

'The Jungle' Questions for Study and Discussion

Upton Sinclair's Banned Book

• Study Guides
• Authors & Texts
• Top Picks Lists
• Best Sellers
• Plays & Drama
• Shakespeare
• Short Stories
• Children's Books
• M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento
• B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento

The Jungle is one of the greatest (and most controversial) works by  Upton Sinclair. . Dedicated to "the Workingmen of America," the novel detailed the unhealthy conditions of the meatpacking industry and eventually led President Theodore Roosevelt to pursue new federal legislations. 

Here are a few questions for study and discussion to think about before and after reading this work.

• What is important about the title: The Jungle ?
• What are the conflicts in The Jungle ? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) did you notice in this novel?
• How does Upton Sinclair reveal character in The Jungle ?
• What are some themes in the novel? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
• What are some symbols in The Jungle ? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
• Is Jurgis Rudkus consistent in her actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?
• Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters persons you would want to meet?
• Does the novel end the way you expected? How? Why?
• What is the central/primary purpose of the novel? Is the purpose important or meaningful?
• Why is the novel usually considered a work of protest literature?
• How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
• What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women?
• Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
• 'Wuthering Heights' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'A Passage to India' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'A Rose for Emily' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'Robinson Crusoe' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'Brave New World:' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'Invisible Man' Questions for Study and Discussion
• Discussion Questions for 'A Christmas Carol'
• 50 General Book Club Questions for Study and Discussion
• '1984' Questions for Study and Discussion
• The Catcher in the Rye: Questions for Study and Discussion
• "A Tale of Two Cities" Discussion Questions
• 'The Gift of the Magi' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'Alice in Wonderland' Questions for Study and Discussion
• Rudyard Kipling - 'The Jungle Book' Questions for Study and Discussions
• 'The Raven' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 'The Yellow Wallpaper' Questions for Study

111 pages • 3 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Introduction

Before Reading

Reading Context

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

After Reading

Discussion/Analysis Prompt

Essay Questions

Exam Questions

Exam Answer Key

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Get access to this full Teaching Guide and much more!

• 7,350+ In-Depth Study Guides
• 4,950+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
• Downloadable PDFs

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

The SuperSummary difference

• 8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
• Study Guides you won ' t find anywhere else
• 100+ new titles every month

1. Throughout the novel, Sinclair frequently uses the term “machine” to reference the system that Jurgis and his family are subjected to.

• What is this “political machine?” ( topic sentence )
• Find and discuss three references to this machine throughout the novel that support your answer.
• In your concluding sentences, discuss briefly how the political machine of Chicago is an example of The Law and Government as Agents of Violence

2. Sinclair argues that the businesses of Packingtown use brutal and corrupt practices in their workplaces.

• How can businesses exploit their workers and consumers through brutal and corrupt practices? ( topic sentence )
• Find and discuss three examples of brutal and corrupt business practices in the novel that support your rationale.

Don't Miss Out!

Access Teaching Guide Now

Ready to dive in?

Get unlimited access to SuperSummary for only $ 0.70 /week

Related Titles

By Upton Sinclair

The Flivver King: A Story of Ford-America

Upton Sinclair

Featured Collections

American literature.

View Collection

Banned Books Week

Upton Sinclair

• Literature Notes
• About The Jungle
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Character Analysis
• Introduction
• The Narrator
• Phil Connor
• Character Map
• Upton Sinclair Biography
• Critical Essays
• The Tenets of Sinclair's Socialism
• Jurgis' Journey through Hell to Socialism
• Sinclair's The Jungle from a Contemporary Critical Perspective
• Full Glossary for The Jungle
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis Chapter 1

The Jungle begins on the wedding day of two Lithuanian immigrants, Jurgis and Ona, highlighting many of the traditional Lithuanian customs that family members like Marija and Teta Elzbieta attempt to keep alive now that they live in Chicago. Jurgis and Ona have had to wait a long time after immigrating to the United States and settling in Chicago for their wedding to occur due to the economic hardships they've suffered. These hardships are laid out in Chapter 2, as the book continues in a flashback to before the time they met in Lithuania. The flashback continues until Chapter 7 of the book, where the story catches up to the wedding of Jurgis and Ona. Although many people are getting their fill of food and drink, a majority of the guests aren't fulfilling their end of the unwritten agreement to give a gift of money, and the bride and groom don't receive enough funds to start their married life together. In fact, they aren't receiving enough money even to pay for the reception, though, following the Old World tradition, no guest will be turned away. Jurgis, the protagonist, attempts to accept responsibility for this situation by declaring, "I will work harder."

Upton Sinclair opens his novel in media res — in the middle of the action — capturing the variety of emotions that surround every wedding day. Marija's barking at the carriage driver not only reveals her temperament and provides a glimpse of her strength of character; it also allows Sinclair to provide some history for his characters as well as providing the setting for the entire text. Marija is one of many immigrants who now call Chicago home, and with whom the book is concerned.

Most of the action takes place in Chicago at the turn of the century. The stockyards play a pivotal role, serving as both setting and character. As the setting, the stockyards capture a time and place — the meat packing industry at the turn of the century. The stockyards can be considered a character due to the influence and effect they have on Jurgis and his family. Sinclair develops the stockyards — through physical description, the comments of other characters, and direct commentary — more than any other character in The Jungle .

At the wedding feast, a variety of attitudes about life in America are revealed. The most important one comes from Dede Antanas (Grandfather Anthony) who "has been only six months in America," yet his toast to the newly married couple is pessimistic, revealing his disillusionment with America.

Sinclair uses information he supplies about one character to reveal important information about many characters. For example, Ona, the bride, is small and dependent. Her physical description prepares readers for the difficulties she faces in Chicago and enables readers to understand why Jurgis feels a need to protect her.

In opposition to Ona is her cousin, Marija, who is strong and concerned about appearances. Marija runs the entire wedding, and her emphasis on doing what is proper and right serves as a dark contrast to the woman she will become. From the onset, readers view Marija as a vigorous woman, a survivor.

Other characters at the wedding serve as glimpses of both the present and the future: The elderly stubbornly cling to Lithuanian customs while the young disregard tradition. References are made to children scavenging the dump for chicken food. The saloonkeepers are cheating the families, and the families begrudgingly accept the swindling because the barmen have connections with the politicians. Some workers are unemployed because of blood poisoning. No workers, not even the bride or groom, are able to take a day off from their jobs. Other couples cannot marry for lack of money. Although the wedding feast is a time for celebration, it is only one day out of a dreary existence for all who live in Packingtown.

Sinclair introduces Jurgis, the main character, almost in an aside. Not much is revealed about the man, although he is described as a "hunted animal." Animal imagery plays a significant part throughout the development of characters and themes in The Jungle , as are the last words of the chapter, "I will work harder." These words characterize Jurgis; however, many times when things are out of his control, so it doesn't matter how hard he works, he still may not succeed.

Stylistically, the narrative structure of The Jungle bothers some readers because Sinclair uses an all-knowing narrator. Sinclair used this form for a variety of reasons. First of all, The Jungle , like most novels of this time period, was originally published in serial form, and this type of narrative functions well in that particular format: Having a narrative voice outside the story to relate the action makes it easier for readers to follow the installments. Readers who don't appreciate this style do not typically enjoy early (Victorian) novels because the extensive narrative intrusions are bothersome to those who enjoy modern novels. Sinclair also desired to show life as he believed it really existed; therefore, his realistic fiction not only illustrates the real world, it attempts to capture the readers' attention by presenting characters who seemingly have genuine lives separate from the text. The narrator talks about what characters say, think, and do. Most contemporary novels are told from a particular character's point of view, allowing readers some internal insight, which is why many contemporary readers resist novels where a narrator "tells" what happens instead of "showing" the reader what happens.

Other readers are bothered by Sinclair's use of the second person "you." For example, when he discusses the payment of the bar tab, he writes, "You might complain." Sinclair uses "you" in the plural, "you all" form, to connect the reader to both the character and the situation. In addition to shifting from the third to the second person point of view, Sinclair also shifts from past to present tense, and this technique disturbs the unity of time and place while confusing some readers. Most critics concur that the time shifting is a result of hasty writing rather than for any literary purpose.

The problems the family faces at their reception in the New World mirror the problems they encounter in their new lives in America. The focal point of The Jungle is the plight of the immigrants. A major part of the problem is the excessive amount of graft and corruption in Packingtown. So many problems exist for the immigrants that the excitement of the wedding changes to trepidation about the next working day — just as their excitement about the New World has changed from optimism to pessimism.

Throughout The Jungle Sinclair explores how heredity, environment, and background all shape fate. The lower class is trapped by the very nature of capitalism. Sinclair contrasts Lithuania, where the characters were healthier and happier to where they are now, downtrodden and desperate in the slums of Chicago.

The meaning of foreign words and phrases are revealed through context, providing a sense of authenticity while simultaneously making the immigrants sympathetic to readers. Sinclair needs to have sympathetic characters in order to demonstrate how capitalism destroys them and their families; by presenting capitalism as the problem, he is able to present socialism as the solution. His novel is filled with contrasts; for example, from the onset capitalism is dishonest, a direct contrast to the honest, hard workers. In the first chapter of The Jungle , only the slightest hints of Sinclair's agenda are present; however, the predators of capitalism are immediately exposed, as are their prey — the working poor.

personage a person of importance or distinction.

veselija the Lithuanian wedding celebration which includes but is not limited to traditional foods, dances, and behaviors.

viands food of various kinds; especially, choice dishes

caper to skip or jump about in a playful manner.

swain a young rustic lover.

grandes dames women, especially older ones, of great dignity or prestige.

quaff to drink deeply in a hearty or thirsty way.

Faust the hero of several medieval legends and later literary and operatic works, a philosopher who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power; here, and in several places throughout The Jungle , Sinclair inserts literary allusions that are not compatible with the educational level of the character, a stylistic shortcoming.

ponas Lithuanian word meaning master, gentleman.

brass check refers to the style of time clock used during this period.

Previous Character List

Next Chapter 2

Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Jungle — Jungle Descriptive

Jungle Descriptive

• Categories: Ecotourism Jungle

About this sample

Words: 511 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 511 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

• Expert in: Geography & Travel Environment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 506 words

1 pages / 424 words

3 pages / 1502 words

2 pages / 993 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Jungle

Written by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book is a classic work of literature that has captivated readers for generations. The story follows the adventures of Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves in the jungle of India. Throughout [...]

“The Jungle” written by Upton Sinclair in 1906 is a novel which provides an incite to the lives of lower class, early industrial era workers. The story recants horrific and graphic depictions of the meat packing industry in [...]

The album I chose to review is called Money Jungle, featuring Duke Ellington on the piano. This album was first recorded September 17th, 1962, however it wasn’t released until February 1963 by the record label United Artists. [...]

The hydrophobic cotton surface is facilely fabricated by an easy novel method through adsorption of fluorosurfactant on the cotton surface and then polymerization of low-surface-energy fluoro monomer in the presence of an [...]

This essay is about the description and development of a new product that is yet to be introduced to the market. My idea is creating a potless water heater which will be a convenient and quick way of heating water. I argue that [...]

One of or maybe even the biggest threat to humanity now, but even more in the future, is climate change. Yet, not only we humans are endangered by climate change, but also all other species will have to live with the differences [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Jungle Book review – Kipling’s man-cub tale as you’ve never seen it before

Aviva Studios, Manchester Avant garde director Robert Wilson’s adaptation of the classic tale prioritises surreal setups and atmosphere over family friendly narrative

W hat does it look like when the familiar story of man-cub Mowgli meets avant garde director Robert Wilson? For audiences familiar with Wilson’s work, the answer is exactly what you might imagine. Though the combination is a somewhat surprising one, this new adaptation of The Jungle Book has many of the distinctive features of Wilson’s theatre: a sculptural approach to bodies and light, painterly composition of the stage picture, use of repetition and fragmentation.

The emphasis is on atmosphere over storytelling. While there is a narrator of sorts in the shape of Hathi the elephant, the outlines of Rudyard Kipling’s stories are only lightly sketched. Instead of scenes, Wilson gives us a series of surreal impressions. Tiger Shere Khan reclines on a chaise longue smoking a cigar beneath a flickering exit sign. Animals gather among the piled-up carcasses of broken TVs. A monkey swings from a huge yellow tyre while Baloo the bear capers around the stage. This is all set to CocoRosie’s trippy musical backdrop, heightening the sense of strangeness.

While this is billed as a family show, I find myself wondering who it is really for. The bright colours and high-pitched shrieks and squeals of the animals have an almost Teletubbies energy, tapping into a childlike quality beyond language. But in other ways this feels like a very oblique, adult piece, with few concessions to narrative clarity. What little verbal storytelling we do get is often hard to make out over the music – perhaps a sound issue, perhaps a deliberate extension of the baffling, dreamlike mood.

There are vague environmental undercurrents and suggestions of a more sinister, human-influenced jungle than we’re used to seeing – the smashed-up TVs, the tyre, mentions of heat and drought. But any desire for a modern take on Kipling’s tale is at odds with how Wilson works. Aesthetically, his treatment of this material is striking, producing a sequence of undeniably beautiful and precise stage images. Judged as a family-friendly theatrical experience, it’s less satisfying. But this is certainly a Jungle Book unlike any other you’ll see.

• Rudyard Kipling

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

See Marines handle tarantulas and vipers to be ready to fight in the jungle

• Thai and US Marines confronted deadly jungle creatures in survival training in Thailand.
• Exercise Cobra Gold demonstrated skills to Marines to help endure harsh jungle environments.
• Animal rights activists slammed the past exercises that involved Marines drinking cobra blood.

US Marines came face-to-face with deadly jungle critters in a survival training in Thailand last month.

The training was part of a larger US-Thai annual military drill called Exercise Cobra Gold, which aims to promote "collaboration to enhance regional stability" in the Indo-Pacific.

The world's longest-running multinational military exercise

First established in 1982, Cobra Gold is the world's longest-running multinational military exercise .

"Cobra Gold provides a platform to refine our strategies, test our readiness, and cultivate the friendships that are the foundation of effective multinational cooperation," Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commanding general of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, said at the training event's opening ceremony.

"It's an honor to be part of this robust multinational force dedicated to promoting our shared goals and security commitments in the Indo-Pacific."

The largest joint exercise in mainland Asia

Since its inception, Cobra Gold has expanded to include more than two dozen other countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, making it the largest joint exercise in mainland Asia.

More than 9,000 military personnel from 30 countries — half of which came from US forces — participated in the two-week multinational military exercise , which ran from late February to early March.

Familiarizing themselves with the flora and fauna

US Marines took part in the Cobra Gold's survival training , where they learned the dangers of the jungle and how to live off the land. The training was held in Sattahip in the Chonburi province of Thailand — about 80 miles away from Bangkok.

Instructors also demonstrated the various deadly spiders and venomous snakes they could encounter in the jungle. During the training, Marines handled tarantulas and observed poisonous cobras and vipers.

Survival skills

Royal Thai Marine instructors taught the Marines skills like starting a fire with bamboo and how to find alternative food and water sources while out in the field.

More than just a military exercise

The training consists of command and control exercises, humanitarian civic assistance projects, and field training events, including the Marine survival training.

But Brunson said the purpose of Cobra Gold goes beyond the technical skills acquired by participating military personnel.

"Cobra Gold is not just a military exercise," Brunson said. "It is a decades-long example of the enduring partnerships that bind our nations together. As we train and learn from each other, we symbolize the strength that comes from unity, shared goals, and the commitment to regional stability."

Cobra blood controversy

Though Cobra Gold made history through its run-time and participation, the training event is infamously known for its garish traditions in which Marines drank blood from beheaded cobras and ate small insects and reptiles.

Former Marine Corps Sgt. Isaac Ibarra, then a corporal, attended the Cobra Gold survival training in 2015. He detailed his experience in an essay, witnessing his fellow Marines eating spiders and scorpions "as if it was an everyday snack."

Ibarra described a Royal Thai Marine handling a cobra while another US Marine used a machete to chop off the snake's head.

"The anticipation was palpable. Quickly, the US Marines congregated and knelt as the Royal Thai Marine raised the headless snake," he wrote. "I knew this was a tradition for all Cobra Gold exercises, so I put my camera aside, knelt down, and waited my turn."

"The cobra's blood spilled over me," Ibarra continued. "It was thick but tasteless."

While the practice yielded some insane photos , the methods were taught as a way for Marines to obtain sustenance from the land, using scorpions, bugs, and geckos as a food source and cobra blood for hydration.

'Frat party gone wrong'

The alternative food and water sourcing method was met with controversy in 2020 after animal rights activists slammed the practice , calling it a "frat-party-gone-wrong spectacle."

"Animal-free survival training in the jungle is something that Boy or Girl Scouts could figure out without reducing themselves to being participants in a cruel, carnival-like, toxic-masculinity sideshow," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a statement at the time.

Alternative water sources

PETA urged the Marines to seek vegan survival options and to put an end to the practice, which officially came to an end in the 2021 iteration of the training and following events.

This year, Marines were seen drinking liquids from banana leaves and other plants to get sustenance.

• Main content