Here's how Sinclair's tone manifests:
* Pity and compassion: He describes their living conditions in harrowing detail, emphasizing their hunger, exhaustion, and lack of basic necessities. He uses language that evokes pity and understanding for their suffering.
* Anger and indignation: He is clearly furious at the injustices inflicted upon the prisoners, specifically highlighting the corruption and callousness of the prison authorities.
* Moral outrage: Sinclair's writing is infused with a sense of righteous anger at the system that allows such exploitation to occur. He uses vivid imagery and strong language to expose the cruelty and inhumanity of the prison system.
* Hope for change: While he depicts a bleak reality, there is a glimmer of hope in his writing. He believes that exposing the truth about prison conditions will lead to reform and ultimately, to a more just and humane society.
Sinclair's primary goal in "The Jungle" was to expose the horrors of the meatpacking industry, but his portrayal of prisoners in the novel serves to further illustrate the systemic exploitation and injustice that he saw as endemic to American society.