The Jungle - Character and Theme Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering the main characters, antagonists, social forces, and symbolic themes from the notes on pages 1–5 of the lecture. Each card pairs a term with a concise definition to aid recall.

Jurgis Rudkus

Protagonist; Lithuanian immigrant who initially clings to the American Dream but becomes crushed by factory work, corruption, and poverty; later finds hope in socialism.

Ona Lukoszaite Rudkus

Jurgis’s young wife; innocent and fragile under industrial life; subjected to hard labor and sexual abuse by Phil Connor; dies in childbirth; represents exploited women.

Antanas Rudkus (Sr.)

Jurgis’s elderly father; weak and ill from harsh conditions; dies early, symbolizing sacrifice of the older immigrant generation to industry.

Antanas Rudkus (Jr.)

Jurgis and Ona’s son; symbol of family hope amid hardship.

Marija Berczynskas

Ona’s fiery cousin; factory worker who is later forced into prostitution; introduces Jurgis to socialism; represents independent women crushed by the system but also potential for change.

Elzbieta Lukoszaite

Ona’s stepmother and family matriarch; practical and religious; keeps the family together through tradition and faith.

Stanislovas Lukoszaite

Elzbieta’s young son; forced into child labor; later dies from the harsh conditions; represents the tragedy of child labor.

Other Children

Elzbieta’s younger kids; largely silent victims; symbolize the helplessness of immigrant children.

Phil Connor

Ona’s boss; sexually abuses her and uses political influence to ruin Jurgis’s life; embodies abuse of power in the workplace.

Mike Scully

Democratic political boss in Chicago; corrupt and controls votes and elections; represents the alliance of politics and business corruption.

Politicians, Police, Judges

Institutions that consistently side with bosses and punish the poor; symbolize systemic corruption.

Jack Duane

Criminal Jurgis meets in jail; introduces him to theft and corruption; represents desperation leading to crime.

Tommy Hinds

Criminal figure connected to the corruption network encountered by Jurgis.

Socialist hotel owner

Hotel owner who hires Jurgis and spreads socialist ideals; represents reform and new hope.

Socialist Speakers

Reformers Jurgis meets at rallies; inspire belief in collective action; embody Sinclair’s vision of socialism as a solution.

Drown in a street puddle of sewage

Symbolic death of children’s futures due to poverty and urban decay.

American Dream

Belief that hard work in America leads to prosperity; Jurgis initially embraces it before encountering systemic exploitation.

Exploited working class

The group at the center of industrial capitalism’s hardships; a key focus of the novel’s critique.

Symbolism Summary (The Jungle)

Mapping of characters to social forces: Jurgis–exploited worker; Ona–victimized woman; Old Antanas–wasted generation; Young Antanas & Stanislovas–child labor/death; Marija–crushed independence with hope; Elzbieta–tradition/religion as survival; Connor/Scully/politicians–corruption; Socialists–redemption and reform.

Socialism as reform

Sinclair’s portrayal of socialism as a collective-action solution offered through hotel owners and socialist speakers.