Chapter 2 - Question: Jurgis moves to Chicago and arrives in Packingtown. The family is overwhelmed by the scene and are worried slightly about their future when they arrive at their boardinghouse. Packingtown is described in incredible detail as a disgusting place. I wonder, how do the harsh conditions of Chicago affect the migrant families over the long-term, and do they ever make it out of this intense poverty?
Chapter 3 - Analyze Jurgis's job in meatpacking and sees the extent of the facilities at Packingtown. Jurgis is surprised by the efficiency of the pork and beef facility while becoming excited to work for the factory despite their disgusting and unregulated conditions. Sinclair compares the harsh reality of the meatpacking industry and labor with the allure of opportunity for Jurgis. The factory’s efficiency foreshadows how …show more content…
Jurgis collaborates with the scabs to profit from a union strike and things seem to be going well until he attacks Phil Connor again and is put through the corrupt legal system where he has his money stolen again and becomes a beggar again. Jurgis’s choices are hard to put into context morally because his life has come full circle. Jurgis’s pursuit of income and wealth has set him on the path reminiscent of the path originally thought of as the American Dream, but his methods are immoral, illegal, and only hurt the type of people that he used to