The Jungle

The Jungle (1906) is a novel written by American author and socialist Upton Sinclair. It was written about the corruption of business during the early 20th century. The novel depicts in harsh tones the poverty, absence of social programs, unpleasant living and working conditions, and hopelessness prevalent among the have-nots, which is contrasted with the deeply-rooted corruption on the part of the haves. The sad state of turn-of-the-century labor is placed front and center for the American public to see suggesting that something needed to be changed to get rid of American "wage slavery". The novel is also an important example of the "muckraking" tradition begun by journalists such as Jacob Riis. Sinclair wanted to persuade his readers that the mainstream American political parties offered little means for progressive change.

Upton Sinclair came to Chicago with the intent of writing this novel; he had been given a stipend by the socialist newspaper The Appeal to Reason. Upon his arrival in the lobby of the Chicago Transit House, a hotel near the stockyards, he was quoted as saying, "Hello! I'm Upton Sinclair, and I'm here to write the Uncle Tom's Cabin of the Labor Movement!" (Arthur, 43). He rented living quarters and immediately immersed himself in the city by walking its streets, talking to its people, and taking pictures. One Sunday afternoon, he fell in with a group of Lithuanian immigrants traveling from a wedding to the party that was to follow; he was welcomed to the festivities and spent the evening there dancing the night away - "Behold, there was the opening scene of my story, a gift from the gods." (Quote from wikipedia.org)

About the Author

Upton Beall Sinclair (1878 - 1968)
Upton Beall Sinclair, Jr. (September 20, 1878 - November 25, 1968), was a proli