The purpose of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was to bring the grim conditions of Chicago's meatpacking industry and its workers to the American public's attention. After Sinclair was commissioned to investigate labor conditions in the Chicago stockyards he wrote about his observations in The Jungle. He points out that labor unions have failed because in the so-called competitive system owners can also organize. He stresses the capitalistic system in comparison to the socialist reforms. However, the book did not bring about the socialist reforms that Sinclair thought were needed. It does provide many historical events in vivid descriptions which supported the contrasts between capitalist views and socialist reforms. .
The book begins with the wedding of Jurgis Rudkus and Ona Lukeszaite. In a flashback the explanation of the characters coming to America is described. Ona decides to come to America after her father dies and leaves her with little money. Jurgis joins Ona, Ona's family, and his family to journey to America. They settle down in a Chicago area known as Packtown, the center of Chicago's meatpacking industry.
As an immigrant Jurgis sees his new home as a hard, dangerous, and filthy place to live. People are having difficulty getting jobs. However, Jurgis gets a job right away because of his physical strength. His job is shoveling guts at Browns. He is shown a tour of the facilities. This is where hard reality sets in. As he starts his job he witnesses the butchering of injured, diseased, or dead cattle that are unfit to eat.
As winter comes things become even harsher. Antanes, Jurgis" father, dies in a cold cellar. Jurgis is forced to work in an unheated packing house. Because of bad weather, work is shorter hours and less pay. This is the time when Jurgis realizes that possibly by joining a union things could change for the better. He slowly begins to understand politics and bribery.
