The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 42-82

Jurgis has now gotten a job in one of the meat packing plants sweeping entrails away. Two other family members also have or are working on getting jobs. Jurgis insists that Ona and the children don't work. However, the family comes upon an advertisement for a four room homes for a reasonable price. Ona discovers that with their income, they will be able to afford both the down payment and the monthly payments. They skeptically close on the house because somewhere in the contract it calls it a rental not an ownership. However, it's all good in the end. The family settles comfortably into their new home. Jurgis is enjoying his job much more than the others because he likes the fast paced conditions. A man promises Jurgis' father, Dede Antanas, a job in exchange for one third of his wages. After exploration, Jurgis discovers how common corruption in the meatpacking industry is. At work, Jurgis also notes how unsanitary meat, such as fetuses and animals deceased from diseases, is packed with the sanitary meat for human consumption. However, the family's neighbor exposes to them how the house is a scam. Three other families before them have tried to buy the house they're in now, but have failed due to missing only 1 months payment. Now, Ona and some of the others are forced to find work in order to own the house to prevent their eviction. However, Ona and Jurgis' wedding feast still has them $100 in debt. Nonetheless, the winter comes, causing hardships. The cold and disease of the season kills many workers, including Dede. While some of the factory workers turn to alcohol, Jurgis resists in order to care for Ona and the rest of the family.

So far I'm really enjoying this book. It really creates a vivid picture of what life was like in the early twentieth century. I couldn't even imagine dealing with all of that. Like eating unsanitary meat...makes me feel sick just thinking about it.