Alcoholism In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

Words: 523
Pages: 3

Alcoholism, poverty and people in positions of authority have all greatly affected the characters in Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle. Those three elements shaped the story and the lives of Jurgis, Ona, and Marija. The main protagonist, Jurgis, was troubled by the struggles and hardships of an immigrant trying to live the american dream. When the family first arrived in Chicago they were too poor to live in a house, so the Lithuanians cramped all of their family in small tenements. Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, describes how alcoholism, poverty and people in positions of authority had a negative impact on the lives of the immigrants.

Alcoholism is a severe disease that affected the immigrants in their quest to succeed in