Jungle, The

The Jungle centers on Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant working in Chicago’s infamous Packingtown. Instead of finding the American Dream, Rudkus and his family inhabit a brutal, soul-crushing urban jungle dominated by greedy bosses, pitiless con-men, and corrupt politicians. It remains today a relevant portrait of capitalism at its worst and an impassioned account of the human spirit facing nearly insurmountable challenges. While Sinclair’s target was the industry’s labor conditions, the public was most outraged by the disgusting filth and contamination in American food that his novel exposed. As a result, President Theodore Roosevelt demanded an official investigation, which led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug laws.