111 pages • 3 hours read
Upton SinclairThe Jungle
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1905A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Jungle follows Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus and his family as they navigate the harsh realities of life in Chicago’s meatpacking district at the turn of the century, facing relentless exploitation, corruption, and tragedy, ultimately leading Jurgis towards the socialist movement as a means of fighting back against systemic injustice. Graphically depicts workplace injuries, sexual assault, and child mortality.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle receives acclaim for its vivid depiction of early 20th-century immigrant life and its successful exposure of meatpacking industry abuses. Readers praise its impactful narrative and social reform impetus, yet criticize its graphic content and melodramatic tones. While influential, some find its prose challenging and overly didactic.
Who Should Read The Jungle?
Readers of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, who are interested in early 20th-century social issues, labor rights, and muckraking journalism, will find this novel compelling. Similar audiences might appreciate Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, due to its focus on social justice and the plight of the working class.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsLexile Level
1170L