The Jungle, Upton Sinclair, describe hardships endured by Jurgis and the causes behind them

Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle in response to Andrew Carnegie's claim that "while capitalism may be hard for the individual it is best for the race because it insures survival of the fittest." Sinclair's Jurgis Rudkus is clearly a man equipped to survive in a world based on social Darwinism, yet by the end of Chapter 16 Jurgis appears beaten. How do you explain Jurgis' failure to succeed in America? Address economic, social and political concerns. …

…owners thousands of dollars, while the workers got next to nothing. Atrocities such as these were used by Upton Sinclair show the other side of capitalism. He showed how even the strong, such as Jurgis, were crushed by the capitalist money making machine. Similarly, from the time Jurgis stepped off the boat in America, the cards were stacked against him; he could not speak, read, or write English, he was poor, and he was honest.