Charles Darwin put forward the idea that nature showed a predominant coherence in a model of "survival of the fittest". In the classic realistic novel The Jungle, this concept is also present throughout the story. A tale of a man named Jurgis eagerly trying to make a living in America, this novel plays on the very idea of ​​survival of the fittest and also highlights the fact that society, much like nature itself, functions in ways that very similar to a literal jungle, as opposed to the common belief that society is very "civilized". Through the symbolism, characterization, setting, diction, and specific scenes of the novel The Jungle, Upton Sinclair effectively portrays the world and society as a whole as functioning much like a real jungle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many symbols are used in Sinclair's novel, The Jungle. To begin with, the focus is on the actual animals on page 39, where it is explained of the industry how "they brought in ten thousand head of cattle every day, as many pigs and half as many sheep . . .” Animals are then prevalent throughout the rest of the novel, and human beings are treated similarly to these animals later in the story. The first of these places is at the beginning of the story on page 41, where Jurgis witnesses the slaughter of the pigs. “Each of these pigs was a separate creature. Some were white pigs, others black; some were brown, some were spotted; some were old, others young; some were long and skinny, some were monstrous. And each of them had their own individuality, their own will, hope and desire. . .” This passage prepares the rest of the book for the comparison of humans and animals. The different species of pigs are representative of the many human species that exist. Some people are tall, others short; some are black, some are white; some are old, others are young. Each human being also has their own individuality which must be valued and recognized. The author presents this passage to effectively and early establish the idea that humans are not all that different from animals and to later argue that it is horribly wrong to treat humans as if they were animals. disposable animals. Sinclair furthers this comparison of humans to animals throughout the rest of the novel by showing how people are often treated like animals as well. On page 81 we read: “The new hands were here by the thousands. All day long, the gates of the packing plants were besieged by hungry and penniless men; they came literally by the thousands every morning, fighting against each other for a chance at life. . . Durham bosses have selected twenty of the biggest. . .” At this point in the story, the author describes how, just like animals or livestock, people came to these packing houses looking for a means of work and fought against each other, somewhat like animals do, to get what they wanted. However, much like the cattle that are so often featured in this novel, only the biggest and strongest are chosen for the chance to earn a living, reflecting Darwin's "survival of the fittest", which is generally considered to be something that only really happens in nature or in the jungle. Additionally, page 154 states that Jurgis was "thrown aside, like trash, the carcass of an animal", showing how society weakened him and threw him away like he was rotten meat, and Sinclair uses the word "bullied" on page 55 as precise diction to reflect how much Jurgis and his family have been intimidated by the way society is run and once again reminds the reader of the animal itself. Closer to the end of the story, Sinclair finishes his subtle comparisons between humans and animals, and on page 256 comes "and throws the idea at the reader: "You left here like cattle, and like cattle you will return! This suddenly shows the reader that humans are often treated as if they are animals and also behave like one. Additionally, because animals are dependent on certain things like humans are, they will return to where it gives them some hope of a means of survival. This addiction reflects the idea of ​​“survival of the fittest,” as people who may not be as “fit” return to something that exists in order to find a way to survive. This same device is used on page 257 where it states that "they were herded into the packing houses like sheep", and on page 263 it says: "He was crippled – he was as literally crippled as any wild animal that has lost its claw, or been torn from its shell. These comparisons remind the reader that society often functions like the brutal world of the jungle and that humans sometimes have so few options that being treated as if they were an animal could mean the difference between life and death. However, attempts to survive in this "urban jungle" are often in vain and a person is chewed up and spat out only to discover that they were just the prey of another animal. Another major symbol in the novel The Jungle is the prevalence of the “machine.” The industrial machine of corporate America is presented on page 46. At this point in the story, Jurgis feels amazed that he is "a part of it all" and that he has become a cog in this enormous monster of an industry. Although machines are very distinct from jungles, they can still represent the idea that society functions like a jungle. Jurgis is amazed to be part of a machine, a "cog" in industry, but he doesn't realize that cogs and gears can be easily replaced in a machine, so to maintain his place in this machine, he must work against everyone to survive. In a jungle, it's more or less every man for himself, a competition for survival, and this idea of ​​a machine with removable and replaceable parts creates this competition for human beings to look out for themselves so as not to have it eliminated. of this machine and can survive. However, the bosses of these packing plants are aware that the “cogs” of this machine are disposable and replaceable, so they work the workers to the bone until they can work no more. These workers are indeed like cogs in a machine, because when they are worked hard enough, abused and abused, they wear out and need to be replaced. This maintains competition for survival, something that is very abundant in the jungle. Sinclair establishes this theme of society functioning as a jungle through the specific characterization of certain individuals in the story. Jurgis is first described as someone quite strong and well prepared for anything on page 14, and on page 37 it is stated: "He had gone to Brown's and stayed there not more than half a year -hour before one of the bosses noticed his imposing form. above the others. » When this idea is considered in terms of animals and how Jurgis compares to everyone else (the other "animals")in this novel, this description implies that Jurgis is one of the "fit" animals in the jungle who will be able to survive. due to his tall figure and strength. Then, on page 147, Jurgis is compared to a tiger, a creature often seen as dominant, powerful, and fierce in the natural world. He says: “He fought like a tiger, twisting and writhing, half throwing them off and heading towards his unconscious enemy. » At this particular point in the story, the author's depiction of a scene and the character of Jurgis reflect the idea that society functions like a jungle. Jurgis became a tiger and, recently upset by something someone did, he attacked him like an animal. Attack another if he is angry. At the same time, the author plays on the idea that it is the packaging factories and the bosses who work there who are in reality the predators of this novel who prey on the weakest animals such as workers and poor immigrants, and deception appears. be their tactic of choice. Finally, the setting itself presented by Sinclair seems to represent that of an “urban jungle”. Page 17 creates a rather chaotic atmosphere during the celebration where there is music, dancing, "thief" activities from some of the guests and a general commotion occurring. This reflects the fact that a jungle is always full of activity – chaos – and is never truly peaceful. Creatures are always on the move, birds are always singing, thief-like animals are waiting to pounce on their prey or steal a meal (or even the life) of another animal, and there is a constant feeling of life and subtle chaos. Later, on pages 32 and 33, the family approaches the town and the reader learns how the landscape changes dramatically. “It was getting darker and darker all the time” and there were “half a dozen chimneys, as high as the tallest building, touching the sky – and out of them came half a dozen columns of smoke, thick , oily and black as night. The jungle is a very dark place and the buildings seem to reflect the towering jungle trees that surround everything, even touching the sky. Trees are the most common thing in a jungle and they are what set the boundaries of the jungle, just like how the towering buildings described by the author set the boundaries of this "urban jungle" and are a feature of it. distinct as Good. While not a perfect depiction of a literal jungle, Sinclair has effectively implanted into the story's setting the intimidating and mysterious structure of a thick, dark "urban" jungle, full of activity and almost isolated from the outside world. Just as the city itself is compared to a jungle, meat processing plants are also described somewhat like a jungle. Pages 98 and 99 skillfully describe the diseases that exist inside the packing plants and which the workers must all try to avoid and be wary of, which might be similar to all the dangerous things in a jungle that 'An animal should be careful and wary. In a jungle there are many types of predators and venomous things to be wary of, so this detail becomes important to convey the feeling that a person working in a packinghouse needs to be equally wary of all things who could harm him as if he were in a real jungle. Page 81 also states that the air in the packing plants was "full of steam, from the hot water and hot blood, so that you could not see five feet in front of you." . .” Jungles are often described as "wet", and..