U.S. History II Honors
Summer Reading Assignment: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
DUE DATE: FIRST DAY OF CLASS SEPTEMBER 2011
VALUE: 50 PROJECT POINTS
Teacher: Mr. Hanson
Synopsis: This 1906 novel was written by Upton Sinclair, a brief resident/owner (from
November 1906 to March 1907) of a commune on Englewood’s East Hill named Helicon Hall,
which was consumed by fire. This muckraking classic exposes the plight of the working class
and the expose of the graft and corruption embedded in the meat packing industry. It depicts
the harsh tones of poverty, the absence of social programs, and the unpleasant living and
working conditions, as well as the social injustices prevalent in Chicago’s packingtown, which
were all fostered by the corruptive powers of the ruthless meat barons and union chiefs.
Assignment:
1. READ The Jungle in its ENTIRETY, all 31 chapters (just like Baskin-Robbins flavors). It
is readily available online via the internet. Make certain you fully understand the
terms MUCKRAKER and MUCKRAKING.
2. For EACH & EVERY chapter, based on its contents, CREATE A BRIEF TITLE FOR EACH OF
THE 31 CHAPTERS.
3. For EACH chapter, WRITE A BRIEF SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS of what took place. It does
not need to be lengthy or detailed, rather it should include all relevant incidents that
are significant, memorable, or strikingly important .
4. IDENTIFY THEMES that run throughout The Jungle (see Synopsis section above).
IDENTIFY KEY PASSAGES that contribute to its MUCKRAKING theme.
BRACKET/IDENTIFY specific chapter and page number for themes and key passages
you identify.
5. VOCABULARY: While reading The Jungle, CREATE A LIST OF WORDS that are
unfamiliar to you or whose use seems unique or inventive. LOOK UP THESE WORDS
in a dictionary and RECORD THEIR MEANING, and it is best to also WRITE DOWN A
SYNONYM for each word you search.
6. CREATE A BOOK JACKET/COVER (front and back, keeping in mind and utilize the space
that runs the width/thickness of the book) thematic to The Jungle. As often
located/appearing on and inside book covers, write a review of the book, create a
summary of what the reader has to look forward to reading, and write a brief
biographical sketch about Upton Sinclair, its author along its inside flap.
7. SELECT your favorite character and WRITE a summary of his/her character
development and the character’s key moments/scenes which contribute to the novel’s
plot and muckraking theme.
8. If you have any questions about this assignment, please email me at:
[email protected]
Unless I am away, I check this email address each day.