The novel , The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair is a story of the pursuit of happiness and prosperity. Throughout the story there are many characters introduced to demonstrate to the reader the different types if people living in Chicago and how they try to work for a better tomorrow. The story begins at a wedding of two people in Chicago, whose names are Jurgis and Ona. They began their life together in debt as the result of freeloading people who took advantage of their wedding feast. The story progresses by depicting how Jurgis and Ona met in the old country and how they came to America. The author then illustrates in graphic detail all about the different jobs in which they labored, such as painting cans and sweeping the "killing floor" at a meat packing plant. After many horrible jobs, Jurgis began to think that America was not the place of opportunity, but rather a worker's nightmare. Working in the meat packing plant was extremely hard for Jurgis seeing the slaughtering of pregnant cows. By working almost non-stop after they arrived in America; they were able to save enough money to afford their wedding, which was planned for November. After the wedding only more poverty and sickness plagued the family. Jurgis's father died and Jurgis negotiated the funeral to keep the family from bankruptcy. The novel continues to demonstrate how life was for many hard working urban laborers during that time. The author also paints a vivid picture of the horrible work conditions for the miserable pay that immigrant laborers received. This novel shows how horrible poverty is and how utterly powerless the uneducated American family was during the early twentieth century to anyone who possessed money and power.
             At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Jurgis Rudkus a Lithuanian immigrant who is at his wedding. From the start we learn that Jurgis is a motivated and resilient man, from the outset of the wed
             ...