Discussion+Questions+for+The+Jungle

Some "big" questions to keep in mind as we are going through this are: 1. What factors led to the rapid growth of cities in the late 1800s? (In other words, why now?) 2. What was the impact of urbanization on all who lived there?

One of the ways that cities dealt with the massive influx of people was by building tenements. These were, generally, low-income housing designed for immigrants. Buildings were often 4-7 stories high (typically made of wood prior to the Great Chicago Fire), and extremely crowded. Many apartments within these buildings consisted of no more than two rooms which were shared by large families. For pictures of tenements, click here.


 * __The Jungle__**

As we've discussed before, __The Jungle__ by Upton Sinclair, tells the story of an immigrant family who comes to America hoping to achieve the American Dream, but finds the harsh realities of living in a large city waiting for them. On the previous page, there is a document which contains a few short excerpts from __The Jungle__. Please read through it and be prepared to discuss the questions below.

1. In Chapter One, several people talk about the penalties for showing up late to work. What are those penalties? Why do you suppose that factory owners implemented such a harsh system? 2. Why is the main character so optimistic about coming to America? 3. What is your impression of the area in which the characters are living? Had an immigrant known how harsh the living conditions were, do you think they would have been so willing to come to America? Why or why not? 4. How does the main character embody the spirit of the American Dream or the idea that one can just pull himself up by his own bootstraps? Why do you think he maintained this level of optimism despite the "gloom" of the city?