Imagine having to work over twelve hours a day and not be able to support your family. This was a reality for Jurgis Rudkus, the main character of The Jungle. There was always the fear that he might lose his job to someone younger and stronger. Early in the twentieth century there was no such thing as job security. When there was hundreds if not thousands of unemployed men and women eager to take your …showed first 75 words of 2637 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2637 total…were passed and became laws of the land'' (Downs 150). These new laws were enacted because Sinclair was able to reach the people through his powerful book. It is simply amazing what one man can do to bring about change in a corrupt society. Similar types of books proceeded The Jungle and exposed ills in different parts of our society. '' It is so simple, so true, so tragic, and so human'' (Biography and Critical Opinions 34).