The Jungle

The Jungle

• Genre: Fiction; journalistic; realistic
• Originally Published: 1905
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1170L; grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 31 chapters; approx. 250 pages; approx. 13 hours, 15 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In this exposé of the Chicago meatpacking industry at the turn of the 20th century, immigrant Jurgis Rudkus and his family struggle to survive horrendous working conditions and grinding poverty. Rapacious capitalism and a lack of government oversight make their lives more difficult at every turn.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Extreme poverty; dangerous working conditions and injuries; abuse of animals; sexual abuse and harassment; drug and alcohol use

Upton Sinclair, Author

• Bio: 1878-1968; born in Baltimore, Maryland; graduated from the College of the City of New York; supported himself during graduate studies by writing jokes and adventure stories for periodicals; advocated for causes including free speech and workers’ rights; wrote The Jungle as a serial after doing research as an undercover journalist; The Jungle inspired new regulations around food safety but not much concern for workers; his novel Oil! (1927) inspired the 2007 movie There Will Be Blood; ran for state and national office several times as a socialist; won Pulitzer Prize (1943) for his novel Dragon’s Teeth (1942)
• Other Works: Manassas (1904); King Coal (1917); World’s End (1940); The Autobiography of Upton Sinclair (1962)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Brutality and Corruption of Turn-of-the-Century Capitalism
• Capitalism’s Relationship to the Family
• The Law and Government as Agents of Violence
• The Nature and Necessity of Socialism

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the historical and social contexts regarding the Second Industrial Revolution and the Gilded Age that relates to the development of muckraking journalism during the Progressive Era.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Capitalism’s Relationship to the Family and The Law and Government as Agents of Violence based on text details.
• Plan and structure a debate that demonstrates an understanding of Sinclair’s arguments regarding The Brutality and Corruption of Turn-of-the-Century Capitalism and The Nature and Necessity of Socialism as it relates to government oversight of businesses in contemporary US society.