Upton Sinclair 
The Jungle 

Jurgis Rudkus, an impoverished Lithuanian immigrant, takes a lowly job at Brown’s slaughterhouse to support his young wife and their relatives. Once admiring America for its potential, Rudkus has found opportunities to be too far out of his reach. After being evicted, Rudkus is living in a slum and deeply in debt – unable to support his family. As he attempts to make ends meet, the oppressive working conditions and crippling poverty begin to take a toll on Rudkus and his family.

About the author

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) is a celebrated American author best known for his 1906 novel, The Jungle, which exposed to poor working conditions and potential health violations in the meatpacking industry. The novel caused a public uproar which resulted in sweeping changes of the industry and catapulted Sinclair into the limelight. He went on to write nearly 100 books and won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.