The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 83-108

So now, this musician, Tamoszius, begins to like Marija, Jurgis' cousin. Since he is a musician, he is at most social events and is able to invite Marija to all and sometimes the entire family. He proposes to her, and the family plans to finish the attack of their house for their room. However, the canning factory where Marija works is shut down and she loses her job. Additionally, many other factories throughout Packingtown are shut down or are affected by the troubling times. Jurgis receives a reduction of his hours and wages. Then anyone in the family who works, joined a union to help the family out. Jurgis consistently attends the union meetings. He also decides to learn English and to become an American citizen. A man shows him how to vote and everything, but Jurgis later learns that it was all a scheme to control Jurgis' vote. However, Jurgis continues with his work and discovers the abundance of corruption and dishonesty throughout Packingtown. He is repulsed by his discoveries of cans of ham actually being filled with entrails from random animals.
Spring has arrived in Packingtown and Marija has regained her job but loses it only 2 months later due to her verbal protest. However, she soon finds work as a beef trimmer. Her income is necessary because Ona is now expecting a child. Ona continues to work throughout her pregnancy and is mistreated by all her coworkers who happen to be immoral prostitutes from a brothel. She soon has her baby though, and her and Jurgis name it Antanas after his father. Jurgis becomes attached to his first child. Ona is forced to return back to work only a week after giving birth, causing her health to decline.

The book is becoming more intense every page. I'm personally disgusted by the imagery it provides about the old meatpacking industry. I'm so glad this muckraking book helped create new laws.