The Jungle

THE JUNGLE

Upton Sinclair

= Upton Sinclair EEA

The Jungle

The Jungle

by Upton Sinclair (1878-1968)

It is the end of the 19th century. Like thousands of others, the Rudkus
family has emigrated from Lithuania to America in search of a better life.
As they settle into the Packingtown neighborhood of Chicago, they find
their dreams are unlikely to be realized. Jurgis, the main character of the
novel, has brought his father, his fiancee Ona, her stepmother Teta
Elzbieta, Teta Elzbieta’s brother and her six children, and Ona’s cousin
along. The family, naive to the ways of Chicago, quickly falls prey to con
men and makes a series of bad decisions that lead them into wretched
poverty and terrible living conditions. All are forced to find jobs in dismal
working conditions for their very survival. Jurgis, broken and discouraged,
eventually finds solace in the American Socialist movement.

An ardent socialist, Sinclair wrote The Jungle to expose the corruption
and the grim working conditions of immigrant laborers in Chicago’s meat
packing industry. Published in 1906, The Jungle had a major impact on
public opinion and led to labor and food quality reforms.

Total running time: 16:02:48
Read by Tom Weiss

acoustical liberation of books
in the public domain

Cover design by Kathryn Delaney, painting by
Everett Shinn, Docks of New York City (detail), (1901)

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