Upton Sinclair The Jungle Analysis

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James Adams coined the term “The American Dream” in 1931. What did he mean by that? He argued for “a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers.” However, the concept has been the national ethos of the United States ever since the conception of the country; a similar idea exists in the Declaration of Independence in the form of “all men are created equal...with certain unalienable rights … [of] life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.” The term has gone on to become synonymous with other American cultural ideals, for example, “democracy”, “Statue of Liberty”, and “family values.” The concept of the American Dream has been a core belief of the American public for centuries but it is the immigrants, who have been under socioeconomic oppression and discrimination in other countries, who are the group most often lured by this lofty idea. Almost three decades before Adams invented the phrase, author Upton Sinclair in his celebrated novel, The Jungle, exposed the fallacy of this ideal. Through the transition of the protagonist, Jurgis Rudkus, from a naive immigrant to a cynical socialist, Sinclair shatters the illusion of the American Dream for the common worker.…show more content…
Former Harvard scholar, Jim Cullen, in his book The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation argues that homeownership is an important facet of the American Dream and a measure of the overall prosperity, financial security, and happiness of a family. But most importantly, Cullen asserts that purchasing real estate is an indication to immigrants that they’ve settled down and can now focus on raising the family. Jurgis’ family envisions that, by buying a home, they will eventually be free from charges. Although nervous, they are elated to purchase their new
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