The Jungle: Motif - Week 3

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is about Jurgis, a Lithuanian immigrant, trying to support his family in the stockyards of Chicago in the early 1900's. Throughout the book there are many symbols such as the cattle being slaughtered, the housing agent, and the corrupted police force, which all show the terrible living conditions of the working class, and their hopelessness.

The motif effectively propels the plot by constantly creating conflict, and adding to the tense atmosphere. The book was written to suggest that the American government had little power over the meat industry and later it led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act. The powerful symbols were used to really hit home with the reader, and emphasize the urgent need of attention to the average American factory worker.