A Bookreport On The Jungle
Submitted by puzzle on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Biographies
- Words: 1257
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A Bookreport On The Jungle
Upton Sinclair¡¯s The Jungle, first published serially in 1905 and in book form in 1906, is the tale of a Lithuanian immigrant, Jurgis Rudkus, and his family.
America is a land of promise. At this call, Jurgis and his family move to the United States in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. In spite of the unpleasant journey, they are full of expectations when they arrive at the packing town of Chicago. Jurgis is eager to earn a decent living for the family. But soon he learns that he alone cannot earn enough to support his entire family, despite the intensity of his valiant efforts to work harder. Pretty soon his wife and the rest of his family are working as well, all attempting to chip in to cover family expenses. Things seem to look right for the family. They have enough money for the monthly payment for the house purchased on mortgage, and the little children are going to school, and they even have some money to put in the bank!
Then comes the first blow¡ªthe death of Antanas, Jurgis¡¯ father, whose health ruined by the work he does. Just as his outlook on life becomes cheerful with the birth of his first baby, named Antanas after his dead grandfather, Jurgis is injured on the job and is forced to stay home and out of work while his mangled foot heals. Jurgis is sidelined from work for more than two months, and upon his return he finds himself replaced by another worker. Desperate for a job, he takes a dreaded position at the fertilizer factory. His wife, Ona, is pregnant again, but she has to go to work. His family is working themselves to the breaking point, and the bills are getting the best of them. Jurgis turns to drinking. Things get worse. He learns that his wife has been forced to have sex with her boss. Jurgis, in a rage, attacks the man at the Packing house and is arrested for battery. He spends a month in jail, where he meets Jack Duane, a character who later introduces him to the easy life: a life of crime. When Jurgis gets out...
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