Topic In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair crafts a harrowing narrative of the Rudkus family’s struggles in the Chicago stockyards of the Progressive Era. Sinclair describes their jarring transition from optimism in the American Dream to despair, after facing the realities of their squalid, degrading life. While The Jungle is not a journalistic chronicle of actual people, most scholars believe Sinclair’s novel accurately depicts life for meatpacking workers in the early twentieth century. Using the story of the Rudkus family, Sinclair critically examines several different topics and themes. These themes are developed in Sinclair’s narration of the plot and in the actions, beliefs, and thoughts of the characters. Task Your job in Essay 3 is to offer an informed analysis of any aspect of Sinclair’s The Jungle. What I am looking for in this essay is for you to select any narrow aspect of The Jungle and make a case for what you think Sinclair is trying to say about it. Think of it this way: what is one of the problems that he depicts in the novel? What does he seem to be saying about this problem? Be sure to keep your analysis focused on the book, and do not interject opinions based on the outside world or your experiences. This is not a history report of the Progressive Era; this is not a simple book report that summarizes the novel or gives your opinion of whether you liked it or not. This is a literary analysis that requires you to analyze The Jungle in order to support some point that you are making about it. Your essay will need a thesis that states what point you think Sinclair is making. To support your thesis, you will need to include direct quotations of The Jungle. There is no outside research allowed. You should only have one entry in your works cited page: an entry for The Jungle. Audience You should assume that your audience has not read The Jungle. Your audience will expect a formal essay, so think carefully about your word choice and tone. To maintain credibility with your audience, you will need to convey that your analysis and interpretation are based on careful reflection and a close reading of the novel. Format This essay is to be at least three full pages long. Essays must be typed in twelve-point Times New Roman font and formatted according to current MLA guidelines. To avoid plagiarism, you must include in-text citations and a works cited page that follows current MLA guidelines. The due date for this essay is on the syllabus and will appear on your Canvas calendar.
