These quotes demonstrate examples of relation to the working conditions in “The Jungle.”

“Here was a population, low-class and mostly foreign, hanging always on the verge of starvation, and dependent for its opportunities of life upon the whim of men every bit as brutal and unscrupulous as the old-time slave drivers; under such circumstances immorality was exactly as inevitable, and as prevalent, as it was under the system of chattel slavery. Things that were quite unspeakable went on there in the packing houses all the time, and were taken for granted by everybody; only they did not show, as in the old slavery times, because there was no difference in color between master and slave.” This is a quote from Chapter 10 in which explains Ona’s working conditions. She is forced to work under a woman named Miss Henderson, who is in charge of a prostitution ring, and a majority of Ona’s coworkers are prostitutes. Sinclair describes these working conditions to be unfitting for those who are modest (like Ona). Prostitution, like every other shortcoming of the working class in the book, is demonstrated not to be an inherent mistake of the women participating but rather to be a result of the oppressive economic practices of the capitalists that they impose on the underprivileged immigrants. This passage also alluded to Ona’s rape at the actions of Phil Connor and hinted at the sexual oppression which young working females are made to experience at the hands of their superiors. The final phrase also makes a Marxist point about how social connections under capitalism appear to be tranquil. The claim is that while capitalism masks the true tumultuous nature of these interactions, connections under capitalism aren’t any less oppressive than those that prevailed during slavery and in feudal cultures.