There are obvious correlations that Sinclair made between the workers of Packingtown and the animals in the stockyards, alluding to the idea that both would fall prey to large capitalist machines, be it the meat grinder or capitalism itself. However, some of the symbolism I liked was about the house that Jurgis' family attempted to purchase. The house they attempt to purchase may look pleasing to the eye from the outside, much like the meat cans of Packingtown, however the inside of the cans and the materials used to build the houses were not suitable to be used for that purpose. In this novel, capitalism sells you "shiny lies" while bureaucracy profits from the ignorance of the desperate and unaware..