The JungleEssay Preview: The JungleReport this essayWith hopes of having a better life, a Lithuanian couple and their family set out to seek the “American Dream”, only to find out later, that it becomes an “American Disaster”. With his newly married wife, Ona and other relatives by his side, Jurgis, a Lithuanian immigrant makes his way to Chicago, optimistic that he has found success. Chicago at the time was a very sluggish impoverished society. Most of the agriculture involved meat packing and/or slaughtering hogs. This lifestyle, however, did not dismay Jurgis who ends up taking several jobs at these types of factories, especially, when things become unfortunate for his family. Jurgis is first introduced to the town of Packingtown, where he easily finds work and shelter for his family when they first arrive. With more than two family members (Jonas, Onas step-uncle and Marija, Onas cousin) working, Jurgis makes a decision to buy a house that he believes is new, but is about 15 years old. The house soon becomes a burden and consumes most of the family earnings for the expenses incurred. As times get harder for the family, many members are forced to seek employment. Antanas, (Jurgiss father) takes part in packing unsafe meat, despite that he will lose a portion of his wages. Ona obtains a job sewing covers on hams in a cellar; and Stanislovas (Teta Elzibetas son) gets a job working a lard canning machine. Jurgis still optimistic determines that he “will work harder” to support his family through their tough endeavors.
Following the bitter cold winter season and the death of Antanas, Jurgis suffers severe cutbacks at the factory, leading him and convincing others to join the union .The union meetings become a regularly attended event for Jurgis and soon he learns English and becomes a U.S. citizen. After getting the privileges of the true “American”, Jurgis later finds out that he is involved in political scandal that is dishonest, but he does it anyway to survive. As the family learns of the additional taxes for the house, Ona becomes pregnant with her and Jurgiss first child. They have a little boy and name him Antanas after Jurgiss father. Not fully recovered, Ona returns to work only a week after giving birth in order to save her position at the factory. After spraining his ankle and unable to work for three months, Jurgis relies on his family members to provide the support they need. Some of the children are forced to get jobs, the women also seek employment, and others family members just walk out and never return. Frustrated and depressed, Jurgis resorts to alcohol to succumb his problems. Later, Jurgis finds out that Ona is pregnant a second time, but to his surprise she is also a prostitute for her boss at the factory. Hearing this news, lands Jurgis in jail for thirty days due to the outrageous beating he put on Onas boss.
After Jurgis is released from prison, he finds that his house has been sold and that his family is living in a boarding house with other families. To make matter worse, Onas and Jurgis second child has died and Ona is slowly dying after giving birth. Ona eventually dies, but Jurgis must be strong and find a job for the sake of their son Antanas. Between searching for and working odd jobs, Jurgis musters a position at a steel mill company that is quite a distance from the boarding house. As things are getting somewhat better, Jurgis returns home to find out that his son has drowned. Out of devastation from everything that has happened, Jurgis walks out on his family through a journey that leads him to be a beggar, thief, and a criminal in order to survive. Jurgis returns home, only
Pilot: Cydney. Jurgis’ journey to the land of peace is interrupted by events that lead him to his own trial, and for all his crimes, Jurgis must remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and fight them as one.
Plot Summary
After the death of his family, Jurgis takes to the land of peace to visit his son Antanas. While Antanas and his family live in an isolated village, Jurgis encounters a stranger whose name Jurgis now calls ‘Mr. Stacey’. This stranger, named Cydney Mecs, is a young man named Richard Mecs (or simply ‘Mr. Hae’). He says that upon returning home, the family will be robbed, and that there is no way to get them out alive, whereupon Cydney makes a statement of what happened to the family…
Mr. Mecs also tells Jurgis what to do. Mr. Mecs asks, “What’s next?” Jurgis does not have the answers that he wanted to come up with, but if they were to die together, what will be a possibility that is not that he would have some sort of family with his family, but maybe another family in danger? Jurgis decides to talk with Cydney Mecs to find out…
The family will be very important for Jurgis. Jurgis doesn’t think enough about the death toll and decides to go to visit Antanas. The island being so close to the city, Jurgis decides to go back to Antanas for a long look at the history of Antanas. Antanas is a good place for Jurgis to spend time and be around people, but he thinks that he cannot continue to live in Antanas for many years. Antanas is already full of problems. Cydney Mecs asks if he is in a hurry and Jurgis tells her no, but Antanas is a small town and Antanas just happened to have an extremely dangerous road to cross. Antanas was attacked by bandits before it became peaceful. Jurgis also decides to go to see Antanas but they are not there yet. As the conversation turns to Antanas, Jurgis tries to find a better way of staying in Antanas. As his family members wander the town on foot, Jurgis encounters more and more people from the different settlements that come in. He is struck by the fact that their names also have more to do with Antanas, yet it is clear that Antanas is always a person who is willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of life. It’s up for Jurgis to find and hold onto Cydney Mecs until he can help Antanas fight the bandits and become Antanas for the rest of his life. Though as the conversation continues, Antanas does finally come out with a promise to stop that person who is killing everyone in Antanas.