American Values in the Jungel by Upton Sinclair

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American Values/ Interesting Quotes A. In The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, there were many American values but only 3 stood out. These values were activity and work, efficiency and practicality, and humanitarianism. Activity and work was evident throughout the novel by Sinclair discussing Jurgis having to work to provide for his family. Activity and work means that you have to work to survive and by working hard you are more important then some else. This value stood out because Jurgis was always working, working to provide for his family, working because that was all there was to do. This becomes evident when Jurgis first comes to the Packingtown. “‘Tomorrow,’ Jurgis said when they were left alone, ‘tomorrow I will get a job… and then we can get a place of our own’ ” (27). The first thing Jurgis realizes is that he needed a job. When Jurgis got a job the very next day, he was excited. “His whole soul was dancing with joy – he was at work at last! He was at work and earning money” (42). Jurgis self worth went up when he got the job and he even understood that making money was part of surviving in Packingtown. The second value is efficiency and practicality. Efficiency and practicality was another value that was portrayed throughout the story. Efficiency and practicality means that mass production and industrialism is a good thing. In the novel, Sinclair often describes Packingtown was a machine because the hundreds of animals are killed at a time. “Had he just gotten a job, and become a sharer in all this activity… in this marvelous machine” (32). As Jurgis gets deeper into the core of the killing houses, he gets to see how the factories are so efficient in getting things done quickly. “…carcass hog was scooped out of the vat by machinery…it was then again strung up by machinery, and sent upon another trolley ride…went down the

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