Dorothy Day had an inquisitive personality and a very imaginative mind. When she attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she wrote in her biography The Long Loneliness: "my readings began to be socially conscious" (Day 36). It was at this time that she began reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Sinclair was a socialist with whom Day would likely have had strong ties. Day was part of the Christian socialist movement and sympathized with many of Sinclair's ideals. At the time she discovered The Jungle, Dorothy Day was living in Chicago with her family. Coincidentally, The Jungle was set in Chicago, so Day could better understand the realities depicted in the novel. The Jungle dealt with the cruel and shocking truths behind the meat packing and processing business. Day was captivated by his characters' stories. She was also largely responsible for caring for her brother, John, as the family expected of her. In her early years, Day would walk with John in the park to relax and appreciate nature, but as she began reading Sinclair's work, she shifted the walking routes to the poor neighborhood on the west side of Chicago. Walking around the neighborhood, she often imagined Sinclair's work in motion, letting fiction become reality. Day's curious nature made her want to see for herself the living conditions of the poor. She ventured through the poor neighborhood and examined the houses and the people, both of which had very depressing things inside. Day did this a lot, and in doing so, she imagined the characters of The Jungle, and imagined their existence in this very lively, very real neighborhood. It would be his childhood that she...... middle of paper ......ism at the end of The Jungle, he has no other options. He's been waiting a long time for someone or something to give him answers to what's wrong with the world. Although Jurgis does not pray, socialism is the answer to his prayers. Sinclair depicts a socialist community in which there is a lot of love, care, and support for those who need it, a direct representation of what Day saw in people after the San Francisco earthquake. As is already evident, Day's empathy for the poor is very strong. . Sinclair's work would only fuel the rebellious fire inside her. Reading the story of Jurgis and his experience of socialism would have made a deep impression on Day. Sinclair became a very popular writer, and not without merit. Day was just one of many captivated by this story. As a result, Day would largely agree with the socialism depicted in The Jungle.