The JungleReviewed byPreston FlurkeyStory 1302March 14, 2014Sinclair, Upton. The jungle. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois, 1988From the beginning, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle captivates the reader with an anticipation that makes you want to keep reading. Upon further research into the author, it is clear that he is a passionate writer at heart; although not always successfully. The novel is best known for exposing the highly unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry, run by corrupt political machines, as well as the severity and harshness faced by immigrants during this period. However, Sinclair's real goal was to promote his newfound socialist principles among the growing businesses and harsh working conditions that existed for the lower class. The story is set in the city of Chicago, a city with a deep divide between the upper and lower working classes. . While this was evident in many cities across the nation as urban areas continued to grow, Chicago was among the worst. Sinclair was able to capitalize on the workers' struggle and wrote his story through the eyes of the poor Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus. It was brilliant of him to create this fictional look at working conditions during the Progressive Era as workers fought for better treatment. Within the novel, he is able to show the brutality of the conditions faced by the workers and a disgusting view of the meat packing industry. One of Sinclair's strongest literary devices used in the novel was his attention to detail; he could create vivid, if unpleasant, images of the "Durham" meat packing plant in the reader's mind. Probably the most memorable description of the novel was that of the "peculiar trou" of many workers... middle of paper... a very good ending. The last few chapters are where Sinclair was simply trying to quickly wrap up his underlying message. In my mind, I thought “What next? Should we hope that Chicago will become socialist and that workers will be treated fairly?” If Sinclair had wanted to successfully promote socialism, it would have been better to describe Jurgis's life after becoming a socialist and the benefits that came with it. In conclusion, The Jungle offered detailed insight into the highly unsanitary working conditions and processing methods in the meatpacking industry. Although it failed to successfully promote socialism, the book was widely successful, primarily for its horrific descriptions and images of work at the plant. It will continue to be a memorable novel for history buffs alike as a compelling story portraying the life of a working-class citizen during the Progressive Era..