The Jungle
- First published
- 1905
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair is a novel published in 1906. It follows Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus and his family as they pursue the American Dream in Chicago's meatpacking district. What begins as hopeful optimism quickly descends into a brutal struggle against exploitation, corruption, and poverty. Working in dangerous conditions for meager wages, the family faces mounting tragedies and moral tests. Sinclair's exposé of unsanitary practices in the meat industry sparked public outrage and led to landmark food safety legislation.
- Meat industry and trade
- Working class
- Political fiction
- Lithuanian Americans
- Stockyards
- Immigrants
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #140. The Jungle on Wikipedia.
