The Jungle mainly depicts the family members, and the meatpacking industry. By revealing hidden truths, Sinclair shows his own ideology against the ideology of the two groups. On page 73, when the family sets up the foundation condition for living in the city, a voice of the implied author defines the characteristic of the world at that time: “the world was divided into two groups” (Sinclair 73). One group is apparently people who like Jurgis’ family members and the other one is the owners who are possessing and running inhumane business. As the story goes on, the author seems to try to giving new knowledge with revealing the truth he witnessed actually before, as a muckraker.
The first group of the world is the people who want to find new place, and try to escape from reality expecting another world. However, their belief and faith for economic happiness is frustrated by the people who take benefits, and the environment of the city. Once, they start to earn money, they find all systems require paying money with unjust contract, and it seems that there is no option for practicing what they dreamed. Moreover, there is another drawback which is a bunch of saloons around the company. “There was only one condition”, the author points out with reporting the meaning of drinking to the working class. People should drink to forget the painful memory and to get closer with other workers. If not, they are not welcomed in the society and have to feel what he feels during the work hour.
The second group is the owners who run the company in immoral way only for taking profits. In the process of making products, they not just broke the dream of the working class but also the rule of the world. They don’t consider what is right and valuable to the people but pursue what makes money. Especially, on p88 in the text, the author reveals one of the company’s illegal custom: “they had recouped themselves by putting out imitations of German meat for home markets”.
Showing unknown truth of the society, the author tries to let readers focus on customs and habits of the two groups.
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I believe strongly that your post can be very useful method to interpret the idea of "The Mole People" because this story also refer a kind of the two group of people who lives in aboveground, or who lives in the tunnel. I assure one of the similarities of people between "The Mole People" and "The Jungle" is that some people are forced to live in harsh environment. Furthermore, another similarity is that these people have already known the truth which their current states are created by other group who try to control their society by using money, their power, and people, especially laborer.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, Jugris has a confidence for his ability to do hard work. However, while he has gradually lost his confidence, he has known the construction of not only the factory but also the society. That is, the reason why he has a confidence before he works is that he does not know the poor working construction. After people are forced to work hardly and are worn into ruin, they would be notice the truth even it might be too late. In chapter 12, Sinclair depicts that "And Jugris would make the acquaintance of some of these unemployed men. . . . and he found that they had all had the same experience" (p.114).