The novel The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, focuses on the Progressive Movement in the United States in a journey through the life of the main character Jurgis Rudkus who came America from Lithuania in search of the American Dream of freedom and fortune. After arriving in America, Jurgis and Ona go to Packingtown, an area of Chicago, to find work. Once at Jurgis begins work, he is quickly subjected to horrible working conditions and very low wages that are very often swindled away by those in power. Ona and her second child both died during labor, and Jurgis' son Antanas die shortly after.
             Jurgis spends time in jail on several occasions for fighting, one his second sentence he meets an experienced criminal, Jack Duane, in prison and upon his release he takes up a life of crime. During this time he beings to understand the connection between crime, law enforcement, politics, and business. Jurgis begins to get involved in politics until his violent temper once again causes him to get in a fight with Phil Connor; though this time he is not sentenced to jail, he instead looses all of his current power and means of obtaining money because of Connor's political connections. Jurgis ends up back on the streets until one day when he attends a Socialist meeting as a means of getting out of the cold. Jurgis is impressed by the ideas and concepts of the Socialist Ideal, and he quickly joins and becomes an active member of he Socialist Party. He is convinced that Socialism is the only solution to everyone's problems, and that Capitalism is the cause of most problems in the world. The end of the book goes on to glorify and support the ideals of Socialism.
             Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle is a good example of "big business" and the lack of concern for their workers ad the rest of society. Many of the concepts in this book back up what was discussed in lecture. In The Jungle the main goal of the Socialist...