Cliffs Notes Sinclair's The Jungle Author:Richard P. Wasowski, Upton Sinclair On one level, The Jungle is a gritty investigation into the meatpacking industry. On another, it is a serious book of the times, challenging the policies and beliefs of our political organizations at the beginning of the century. This is one of the first American social protest novels. — This concise supplement to Sinclair's The Jungle... more » helps students understand the overall structure of the novel, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author.« less