The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 109-140

So now all the workers in Packingtown are having their wages reduced for the same amount of work. Marija thought that there was a robbery at the bank so she goes to withdraw her money she recently put in there and ends up sewing it into her clothes, weighing herself down. Of course, Jurgis ends up breaking his ankle, causing him to be out of work for almost 3 months. They have to force 2 of the kids in the family to work selling newspapers for income. And of course someone else in the family dies, and although most of them believed her to be a nuisance, few mourned. Marija provides the money for a proper funeral. Once healed, Jurgis attempts to find work, but is unsuccessful except for a job in the fertilizer mill. However, in the summer Teta Elzbieta goes to work in a sausage mill as well, providing the family with more income. The family begins to suffer, however, with their knowledge of all the disgusting corruption in the meatpacking industry. Ona and Jurgis slowly grow apart as Jurgis turns towards alcohol. Poor Antanas becomes ill all throughout his first year, but successfully makes it to his first birthday, when Ona is now pregnant again.

The book is really an eye opener for the life in the early 1900s. All the corruption and secrets in the industry honestly disgusts me.