The Jungle
The most consequential muckraking novel in American history.
“I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.”
Why It Matters
The most consequential muckraking novel in American history. Public outrage at The Jungle's descriptions of the meatpacking industry led directly to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 — a rare example of a novel directly causing federal legislation. Its socialist political argument has aged less well, but its documentary horror is permanent.
The 
Take
Personal reviewSuper well done, especially the beginning . Paints a picture of the horrific early factory conditions in Chicago and the burgeoning labor union/socialism movement. The end get super overtly political which I get, but just took away from just getting into the narrative.Still excellently writtenFeels like Steinbeck used a lot of similar themes
Notable Quotes
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
“Chicago will be ours! Chicago will be ours!”