The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

A landmark muckraking novel and scathing exposé of the exploitation of immigrant workers in Chicago’s meatpacking industry at the beginning of the twentieth century, The Jungle is an important American novel that made a difference in the nation’s history. It prompts discussion of major political issues of the early twentieth century, differences between socialism and capitalism, the shift from an agrarian to an industrial economy, and the impact of immigration. Upton Sinclair epitomizes the work of the journalists Theodore Roosevelt referred to as muckrakers. This novel is a must for American studies programs.