Students will recognize how a literary work, such as the jungle, can lead to social change in society. Commonlit excerpt from the jungle free reading passages. A summary of chapters 35 in upton sinclairs the jungle. Upton sinclairs, the jungle, and urban living conditions 1906. Jurgis sprains his ankle and is forced to spend nearly three months in bed, unable to work. In the beginning he had been fresh and strong, and he had gotten a job the first day. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the jungle and what it means.
Of the butchers and floorsmen, the beefboners and trimmers, and all. Excerpt and questions about upton sinclairs muckraking novel the jungle. Upton sinclairs book, the jungle, created a public response. I poured over pages of the book and compiled my favorite passages here. Do hand sanitizers work better than soap and water. In 1904, upton sinclair received a five hundred dollar advance from the socialist newspaper appeal to reason to investigate the living and working conditions. Upton sinclair wrote the jungle to bring awareness to the impoverished conditions immigrants and the poor were forced to live and work in. A family working in the meat packing industry, exposing what really happened in the industry. The tragedy still dwells in the collective memory of the nation and of the international labor movement. Students will learn about the conditions of the meatpacking industry by reading and discussing excerpts from upton sinclairs the jungle. Sinclair hoped the novel would awaken americans to the evils of capitalism. Upton sinclair described the terrible working conditions he saw facing those working in the meatpacking industry at the turn of the century in his novel the jungle, with the immigrant jurgis following the american dream and finding working. Aug 10, 2012 novel about an immigrant family slaving in a packing town in early 20th century there was another interesting set of statistics that a person might have gathered in packingtown, those of the. Sinclair, description, power of words, novel, fiction, excerpts transcript a description of the layout, sights, sounds and odor of the chicago stockyards as experienced by a group of new immigrants on a tour of what is soon to be their workplace.
Sinclair describes the conditions one worker faces as a. This quote from chapter 10 comes from sinclairs explanation of ona s working conditions. In 1906, upton sinclairs novel the jungle uncovered harrowing conditions inside americas meat packing plants and initiated a period of transformation in the nations meat industry. Working conditions in the new urban industrial zones were wretched, and a progressive reform movement soon grew out of the need to address the health and welfare of the american worker. They were trying to save their souls and who but a fool could fail to see that all that was the matter with their. To many, its horrors epitomize the extremes of industrialism. Using excerpts from the jungle to teach about muckraking and the progressive era. The fact that mikolas has injured himself on the job does not just affect him. His description of diseased, rotten, and contaminated. The naturalist tradition depicts characters as being only the result of the natural conditions that surround them.
The jungle, a 1906 novel by upton sinclair, is full of graphic descriptions of the poor conditions workers and cattle endured in the chicago meatpacking industry. It also matters to his large family, which relies only on mikolas for support. An essay or paper on working conditions in the jungle. The jungle is the story of jurgis rudkus and his family, lithuanian immigrants who come to america to work in the meatpacking plants of chicago. However, most readers were more concerned with his exposure of health violations and unsanitary practices in the american meatpacking.
Have students create a poster protesting the working conditions in the meatpacking factories. As you read the following sections think about how progressive leaders would want to use the government to regulate the production of food and working. Using excerpts from the jungle to teach about muckraking. In the jungle, jurgis is a victim of the economic and social conditions of chicagos packingtown. There should have been safer hygiene habits, safer food preparation. Upton sinclairs the jungle constitutional rights foundation. Upton sinclair wrote the jungle to expose the appalling working conditions in the. The jungle exposes multiple aspects of the cost of poor working conditions in chicago. Section 1let a man so much as scrape his finger pushing a truck in the pickle rooms, and he might have a sore that would put him out of the world. Jurgis responds to these terrible working conditions by. Constitutional rights foundation bill of rights in action fall 2008 volume 24, no. Upton sinclairs the jungle is one of the most famous examples of investigative journalism working in favor of the public. The jungle is a novel by upton sinclair, published serially in 1905 and as a book in 1906.
If it were to be published today, yes it would lead to reform because the people would cry for the workers and better working conditions and cleaner working environments. He has little other interior motivation for working or living. The jungle inquiry lesson plan the rise of american. Sinclair presents these conditions as a horrible situation for the modest, moral ona but also offers an explanation in which the system.
Upton sinclairs the jungle is a dark, gritty look at the conditions in which the contemporary workingclass families lived. Conditions in meatpacking plants 1906, by upton sinclairthe explosive growth of american industry in the late nineteenth century caused a similar expansion in the work force. The following are excerpts from the jungle by the muckraker upton sinclair. While there are already hints that things are not well with this couple ona has to go to work the next day or else it will ruin us. As you read the following sections think about how progressive leaders would want to use the government to regulate the production of food. Excerpts from the jungle by upton sinclair 10 pointssection 1let a man so much as scrape his finger pushing a truck in the pickle rooms, and he might have a sore that would put him out of the world. Working in an unheated slaughterhouse, jurgis risks his life every day by simply going to work. The victims of the tragedy are still celebrated as martyrs at the hands of industrial greed. Because most of the american public does not work in the meatpacking factories upton sinclair is describing, however, all of the american public does eat the meat that these factories are processing so it directly affects everybody. The jungle, published in 1906, exposed the harsh conditions of the meatpacking. As winter comes, the conditions at each of their places of work become even more dangerous. The jungle inquiry lesson plan the rise of american industry unit. Upton sinclair wrote the jungle to expose the appalling working conditions in the meatpacking industry. The jungle is a 1906 novel written by the american journalist and novelist upton sinclair 18781968.
This is csah2 excerpt from upton sinclair s the jungle by certell on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. The jungle study guide contains a biography of upton sinclair, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Most disturbing scene from the jungle literature and. Excerpts from the jungle by upton sinclair chapter 9. Sinclair writes of how the immigrants had to work in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. A description of the layout, sights, sounds and odor of the chicago stockyards as experienced by a group of new immigrants on a tour of what is soon to be their workplace. Working conditions in the jungle upton sinclair described the terrible working conditions he saw facing those working in the meatpacking industry at the turn of the century in his novel the jungle, with the immigrant jurgis following the american dream and finding working conditions inhuman. It is a story of poverty, brutal working conditions, corruption, and. I have chosen two quotes to illustrate the disturbing nature of the jungle because both of them equally made my heart grow sick and my stomach turn. But just as soon as labor is set free, then the price of such work will begin to rise. Excerpts from the jungle by upton sinclair chapter 9 there were the men in the pickle rooms, for instance, where old antanas had gotten his death.
I am a proud super nerd and got a little carried away playing with audacity. A series of heartbreaking events occur in the jungle which many attributed to the poor working conditions in the meatpacking factories. His description of diseased, rotten, and contaminated meat shocked the public and led to new federal food safety laws. Excerpts from the jungle by upton sinclair 10 points section 1let a man so much as scrape his finger pushing a truck in the pickle rooms, and he might have a sore that would put him out of the world.
In 1904, in the midst of a bitter stockyard strike, socialist writer upton sinclairs twomonth visit to chicagos packingtown area provided him with a wealth of material that he turned into his bestselling novel, the jungle. The book is best known for revealing the unsanitary process by which animals became meat products. Excerpts from chapters 1 and 2 of the jungle sinclair. The two are dancing at their wedding feast in chicagos meatpacking district, packingtown.
Sinclairs book was so moving and troubling that it inspired the establishment of the food and drug administration, a federal agency that is to this day responsible for regulating. Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of. Upton sinclair 18781968 was a famous twentieth century poet who often experimented with different genres. Of the butchers and floorsmen, the beefboners and trimmers, and all those who used knives, you could scarcely find a person. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Upton sinclairs novel about immigrant workers in chicagos meatpacking plants shocked readers when it was first published in 1906. Sinclairs report is a fascinating journey into the exploitation of lowwage labor in americas capitalist economy. Excerpt from upton sinclairs the jungle 1905, chapter 9. Csah2 excerpt from upton sinclair s the jungle on vimeo.
All day long this man would toil thus, his whole being centered upon the purpose of making twentythree instead of twentytwo and a half cents an hour. Excerpts from chapters 1 and 2 of the jungle a description of the layout, sights, sounds and odor of the chicago stockyards as experienced by a group of new immigrants on a tour of what is soon to be their workplace. Upton sinclairs descriptions shocked the public and led to new safety regulations and support for the progressive movement. His description of diseased, rotten, and contaminated meat shocked the. The following are excerpts from the jungle by the muckraker. As you read the following sections think about how progressive leaders would want to use the government to regulate the production of food and working conditions in the late 1800s. Conditions in meatpacking plants 1906, by upton sinclair. The working conditions described in the jungle are undeniably horrible. The following is an excerpt from the jungle by the muckraker upton sinclair. There were the men in the pickle rooms, for instance, where old antanas had gotten his death.
Published in 1906, the jungle brought awareness to the harsh working conditions in the american meat packing industry and the plight of immigrants. As a final performance task, students create a consumers guide to working conditions in the garment industry. Read upton sinclairs the jungle and answer the following. Excerpts from the jungle by upton sinclair published in 1906, the jungle brought awareness to the harsh working conditions in the american meat packing industry and the plight of immigrants. His life is determined by the conditions of nature around him. Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the united states in chicago and similar industrialized cities. The jungle is a 1906 novel by the american journalist and novelist upton sinclair 18781968. Representing the same problem as the easily distracted government inspectors in the jungle, during the same years when the working conditions at americas meatpacking plants became more dangerous the federal government greatly reduced the enforcement of health and safety laws, to the point that national beef only ever had to pay a fine. However, most readers were more concerned with several passages. An expose of the american meatpacking industry and the horrors endured by immigrant workers generated public outrage resulting in passage of federal legislation that improved food quality and working conditions. Pure food and drug act was passed in 1906, and conditions in american slaughterhouses were improved. This quote from chapter 10 comes from sinclairs explanation of onas working conditions. Underline any passages that describe the hazards of working in a meatpacking plant. He describes antanass job in the pickling room as dangerous.
Comparison contrast upton sinclairs the jungle eric. For years, many americans bought meat from butcher shops and grocery stores, never thinking about the type of conditions under which livestock had been butchered and the meat had been processed. Public pressure during the aftermath of the books publication led to the passage of the meat inspection act, which helps ensure that meat is packaged under sanitary conditions. Public pressure during the aftermath of the books publication led to the passage of the meat inspection act, which helps ensure that meat is. Labor exploitation of employees in the jungle ultius. On page 101 he writes, let a man so much as scrape his finger pushing a truck in the pickle rooms, and he might have a sore. Dec 31, 2011 excerpt and questions about upton sinclairs muckraking novel the jungle. What was the reason congress passed the purefooddrug bill. Using excerpts from the jungle to teach about muckraking and. The jungle, published in 1906, exposed the harsh conditions of the meatpacking industry in chicago and other similar industrial cities. He described the filthy conditions of the meat packing industry in chicago during the progressive era. There is one kind of prison where the man is behind bars, and everything that he desires is outside.
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