A Path To Perseverance
The Jungle, written by: Upton Sinclair, looks under the microscope at the deplorable conditions under which the people who lived and worked at Chicago's Union Stockyards were subjected to. along with the impact those conditions had on an emigrant family from Eastern Europe. Its plot takes in the Packingtown district. During the early 20th Century the migration of European immigrants to America's Midwest was prolific. What they found was oppression, dehumanization and exploitation. Working the stockyards offered these immigrants a first glimpse at what the United States would eventually reveal. They were enticed by stories of wealth and opportunity and tired of the remnants of feudalism and classicism that existed in their homelands. The industrial revolution was still in its infancy and owners of large corporations thought themselves purveyors of the American ideal. Sinclair describes the brutal conditions that these immigrants found and the cold reality of life in the United States. This book reveals a look at an America that still has resonance today.
In order to understand effectively why the new environment was so difficult for the immigrants to adapt to, one must understand the goals and mindset they had coming from. emigrants were determined to make it in the United States because they figured the opportunities would be greater, with the Industrial revolution calling for skilled workers. They yearned to experience the true meaning of a Democracy, gaining equality and freedom in their lives and not be wrongly judged for it. They believed there would be many different types of career options. They would work hard and could give, fair labor for fair wages. But a chance to become successful, gain economic status and build wealth was what they wanted most. Emigrant Families would face many challenges leaving their home Countries; they really knew little anything outside of their Agrarian societies. They were optimistic...