The Progressive Jungle of Capitalistic Hegemony on the Immigrants Labor Force An Eco-critical Study of the Socio-cultural Decadence in Upton Sinclair's Novel The Jungle

Abstract

The Jungle has been considered as one of the most influential literary works on the American reformation process during the Progressive Era. Upton Sinclair, the American novelist and journalist, has masterly portrayed the misery and deprivation of immigrant families and individuals victimized by capitalism and rapid industrial growth in Chicago, within the previous decades. It should be mentioned that the historical events and their fictional images in The Jungle have formed the basis for this study. This dissertation investigates Sinclair's novel to determine the consequences of the fast growth of industries and their impacts on the immigrant working class, and how the damages to environment accelerated significantly during that period. It also intends to specify how these representations could target the people's mentality in order to increase contributions and vigilance regarding health concerns, immigrant conditions, and environmental degradation. In exploring the influence of capitalism on the migrant workers’ conditions and nature degradation. Therefore, this study relies on close reading of The Jungle, examining various analyses and critical views about the novel and the author himself. The investigation includes reformative writings, the governmental bills, and acts, legal documents of the United States, and journal articles in which the immigrants, the environment and reformation process during the Progressive Era have been presented as major themes.