The Jungle is a novel that belongs to three major genres of literature. Firstly, it is a "muckraking novel," a type of early American industrial fiction. This kind of writing—which Sinclair was particularly known for—focuses on exposing the hardships and injustices of factory work and city life during the time of industrialization. The book is full of vivid descriptions of worker’s toil, Chicago’s criminal underbelly, and unflinching portrayals of the horrors of the meatpacking business. Through this, the novel unveils the harsh realities faced by the early-20th-century American working class.
The Jungle is also a social protest novel, which seeks to highlight the rampant exploitation of the urban poor. Sinclair uses biting satire and invokes the reader’s sense of pathos to criticize the social and economic systems of his time. Industrialists are depicted as uncaring tyrants whose lives are supported by the misery of their employees. Through revealing this, the author aimed to raise awareness and incite changes to working conditions. The novel contains a powerful condemnation of the inequalities and injustices perpetuated by capitalism. It humanizes the otherwise underrepresented American labor force, prompting Sinclair's readers to reflect on the need for social reform.
