The exposure to the surface-level graft and corruption serves as the beginning of Jurgis' disillusionment. Initially he has no interest in the union: Jurgis has a job and is a hard worker. He is used to fending for himself and does not view joining the union as an investment; rather, it is a waste of money. Later on Jurgis' opinion changes.
All is not what it seems — in the area of home ownership as well as employment — and both are examples of foreshadowing. Initially Jurgis is shocked and dismayed at the illegal and unethical practices in his workplace. In a couple of short years, he learns that the only way he can find economic security within the system is by abusing it.
Although Sinclair's authorial intention in The Jungle is to illustrate the plight of the immigrants and the folly of capitalism, his novel is remembered more for illuminating the abuses in the meatpacking industry. In this chapter he describes the first of many illegal and immoral activities. Throughout The Jungle Sinclair attempts to create a realistic portrayal of life in Packingtown, and for the most part he succeeds. The problem is that it is not easy for readers to discern fact from fiction. Sinclair exercises poetic license in his narrative, yet many readers readily accept his fiction as the literal truth.
