The Jungle (Bedford Cultural Editions)

Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle, which inspired passage in 1906 of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, stands as a classic of twentieth-century American literature and social protest. In this accessible and thorough edition by Christopher Phelps, a critical introduction addresses the wide range of issues raised by the text, including early twentieth-century working conditions, immigrant community, race and gender, political reform, and the continuing relevance of Sinclair’s investigation. This edition uses the most widely recognized text of The Jungle— the Doubleday, Page edition published in 1906 — and provides an illuminating supporting document: President Theodore Roosevelt’s delivery to Congress of the official report that confirmed The Jungle’s shocking allegations about the Chicago meatpacking industry. Questions for consideration, a chronology, and a selected bibliography help contextualize Sinclair’s novel and provide students with resources for further study.