The Jungle Essay example - 944 Words

The book, The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair had a major impact on the way the world saw the American Meat Packing Industry. While Upton Sinclair originally intended to appeal to the public’s heart concerning the conditions and the treatment of workers, it was obvious that the book had more of an impact on the meat industry. The public was outraged by the stories of waste meat being canned as wholesome meat, workers falling into vats and being processed as lard, and dead animals being processed when the inspectors weren’t looking. Upton was quoted in saying, â€Å"I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach† (Kantor 1976). The impact that this fictitious novel had, can still be seen today. After the outrage of hearing†¦show more content†¦On numerous occasions, the packing companies were tried for selling bad products, but the packing companies always came out on top (Yeager 1906). Many people felt that the trials were u nfair and that the Beef Trust had its hands in the politics that lead to the false innocence of the packing industries (Yeager 1906). In 1902, Dr. Harvey Wiley created the Division of chemistry, also known as the Poison Squad. This Division of Chemistry analyzed products that were created by the packing companies. They looked for any kind of dyes, preservatives, or adulterants that may have been added to the meats. The Division of Chemistry found, in the numerous products sampled, that the meat was wholesome and contained no adulterants, dyes, or any preservatives other than the types and amounts that were allowed. They also inspected meat packing plants to find that the sanitation was acceptable in almost all cases (Young 1908). The book gave examples of â€Å"potted ham,† which was said to be the waste of beef or pork. The pieces of meat were too small for any other product so they were gathered together and made into its own product. Some of the parts included tripe, which were supposedly dyed so that they would not appear white. Harvey Wiley at first was very pessimistic about this â€Å"potted meat.† Upon analyzing the product, he found that the meat was indeed wholesome and free of dyes or adulterants (Young 1908). In 1906, the Pure Food andShow MoreRelated The Jungle1075 Words   |  5 Pages The Jungle Essay nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, clearly depicts the socio-economic strife and political turpitude that ushered America into the 20th century. While telling the story of Lithuanian immigrants struggling to survive in Chicago, Sinclair illustrates how avarice and ruthless competition were driving forces in the exploitational predatory capitalist  ³jungle ² of American  ³society ² at the turn of the century. This radical novel, described as muckraking by PresidentRead MoreThe Jungle1982 Words   |  8 PagesRunning Head: THE JUNGLE The Jungle [Writer Name] [Institute Name] The Jungle Thesis Statement In this novel Upton Sinclair shows the problems of working class people. His believe in and contempt for capitalism as described in this story â€Å"The Jungle†. The writer explains capitalism in which the labor communities were treated very badly and to survive in the conditions of poverty. The novel rotates around the family of a character Jurgis Rudkus who have immigrated to America from Lithuania. AsRead More The Jungle Essay774 Words   |  4 Pages The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclairs The Jungle is the tale of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, and his family. Jurgis and his family move to the United States in the middle of the Industrial Revolution, only to find themselves ill-equipped for the transition in the workplace and in society in general. Jurgis faces countless social injustices, and through a series of such interactions, the theme of the book is revealed: the support of socialism over capitalism as an economic andRead MoreThe Irony of the Jungle1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe Irony of The Jungle Between 1870 and 1900 Chicago grew from a population of 299,000 to almost 1.7 million, the fastest-growing city ever at the time. This surge in population was largely attributed to immigrants coming from European countries seeking a chance for employment and new freedoms associated with moving to the United States at the time. 1905, in particular, was a historic year when a surge of over 1 million immigrants came to the city. During this time, author Upton SinclairRead MoreDisillusionment In The Jungle1399 Words   |  6 PagesIn the politically righteous book, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, a newly wed’s feeling of innocence and happiness after their beautiful wedding in their homeland come to an end following the reality of discovering their new life in America. The notion comes from the disillusionment of American freedom and the twisted advertisement of a capitalist system. America was systematically built to be corrupt and dehumanized the significance of individual existence. This was done by easily replacing, deceivingRead MoreThe Jungle Essay1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe Jungle Throughout Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, the inhumane and disgusting treatment the working men and women was shown to the eyes of the American people. Although what the book is most recognized for is creating the Pure Food and Drug Act, an act that gave consumers protection from dangerous and impure foods, the many various horrors the lower working class had to go through was something that deserved more recognition. Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, gives an insight on howRead More the jungle Essay1116 Words   |  5 PagesSinclair found the setting of the book that would bring him to fame. He first won recognition by the jungle in 1906. This book is a powerful realistic study of social conditions in the stockyards and packing plants of Chicago. It aided in the passing of pure food laws. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This novel illustrates how greed and ruthless competition has made the turn of the century into a ruthless jungle. â€Å"Take or be Taken† was the guiding rule, and everyone was someone else’s prey. The meatpackingRead More The Jungle Essay478 Words   |  2 Pages The Jungle By: Upton Sinclair The story opens with the feast at Jurgis and Ona’s wedding in America, but soon flashes back to the time before they left Lithuania. Jurgis met Ona at a horse fair, and fell in love with her. Unfortunately, they were too poor to have a wedding, since Ona’s father just died. In the hopes of finding freedom and fortune, they left for America, bringing many members of Ona’s family with them. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During time in America, Jurgis and his wifeRead MoreThe Jungle and In the Waiting Room1545 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s world immigration and emigration has vastly increased. With these increased movements around the world, the lack of communication creates many consequences. Without a language in common the attempt at communication is a difficult process. In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair explores the consequences of language barriers through a new immigrant family. The Lithuanian family do not have the language skills required for their new life in America and everyday life is a struggle. The problems that rise fromRead MoreThe Jungle by Upton Sinclair730 Words   |  3 Pagesage of imperialism that the United States was on the way to being a world power. However during the early 1900’s the part of history that seems to be overlooked is that of the food and meat packing industry. In an eye opening novel entitled The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, the author tells a story in which exposes the gut wrenching and shocking facts of what actually goes on in these food processing and meat packing factories in an urban Chicago during the early 1900s. Sinclair does a wonderful job