In his novel, "The Jungle," Upton Sinclair reveals the horrors and injustices of industrial Chicago. Sinclair uses his knowledge from research and muckrakers to exploit the conditions for labors in industrial cities. His main focus was around the meat packing industries and how they were not careful about their manufacturing of products and false advertising claiming the food was healthy. Sinclair tells the story of Jurgis Rudkus to portray the harsh conditions and wrongdoings of the Chicago meatpacking industry and the struggle for immigrants/workers to find jobs and maintain a good life for their families. The exploitation of life of industrial Chicago in the eyes of those who experience the corruption everyday show the cruelty and unfairness of turning dreams of wealth and stability into a horrid nightmare of corrupt capitalism and injustice. .
Upton Sinclair uses "The Jungle" as an exploitation of the injustice of capitalism of the day. His main argument is the demand for money, food, and shelter as a means of survival is preventing the movement for real change in society because of the harsh capitalistic system. The main character Jurgis comes to America as an immigrant with the hopes of making himself into a successful man. He instead is tortured and changed for the worse as a result of capitalism. Jurgis attacks Phil Connors for sexually harassing his wife and is sent to prison for it. He ironically feels safer in prison than he does out in Packingtown. He is given shelter and fed without having to beg and actively hunt for it. However, he is more worried about his family. He thinks, "why, in the name of heaven, if they must punish him, did they not put his family in jail and leave him outside-why could they find no better way to punish him than to leave three weak women and six helpless children to starve and freeze?" (p.190). .
Jurgis feels that the injustice of capitalism is unsympathetic to his family.