The Jungle

i think my understanding of this book prior to reading is the popular understanding, that it's about the disgusting & dangerous conditions in the chicago meatpacking district. while that's part of it, it is such a small aspect of the whole story. while our situations are vastly different, i found myself relating to jurgis' pain & frustration; the never ending toil under capitalism, perpetually trying to catch up in a race where the finish line continues to move further & further away, putting your head down & doing what you've been told you need to in order to succeed but somehow, never getting there & blaming yourself, as if it is a personal moral failing that you were born into unlucky circumstances into a system tailor-made to keep you where you are, if not push you further down. the last bit of the book took a surprising turn, one of hope & community. frustrations still exist, but there is a future jurgis can envision & hope for (although some of the speeches & ramblings at this part felt like a bit of a chore to get through). a future that while still difficult to get to, is more attainable & sustainable than white-knuckling your way through capitalism. we as people were made to come together & support one another, to be kind & generous, & i believe that people are all of these things, but it is impossible to be when you must be selfish out of necessity in order to survive under the current system. i'm glad i finally read this & that it's so much more than a “gross out” book about slaughterhouses