Chicago Will Be Ours
"Their home! Their home! They had lost it! Grief, despair, rage, overwhelmed him - what was any imagination of the thing to this heart-breaking, crush reality of it ... Only think what he had suffered for that house - what miseries they had all suffered for that house - the price they had paid for it!" "The Jungle", by Upton Sinclair, gives a heart-breaking portrayal of the hardships faced by the countless poverty stricken laborers in the slaughterhouses of Chicago. As in the quote above, a struggling family underwent months of back- breaking labor only to lose their house at the drop of a hat. It was a desperate and unmerciful time when an accidentally fractured ankle cost a man his job and his family food and shelter. In the early 1900's, strikes, riots, labor unions, and new political parties arose across the country. The Government, with its laissez-faire attitude, allowed business to consolidate into trusts, and with lack of competition, into powerful monopolies. These multi-million dollar monopolies were able to exploit every opportunity to make greater fortunes regardless of human consequences. Sinclair illustrates the harsh conditions in Packingtown through a Lithuanian immigrant family and their stru
ggles to survive. Ona, a young and frail woman, and Jurgis, a hardworking and strong man and the husband of Ona, come to America with some of their family to find work and to make a new and better life for themselves. With everyone finding employment right away, the family begins their lives in America with optimism, enthusiasm, and ignorance. Taking a huge risk, they purchase a small rickety house. Slowly, they awaken to the harsh realities of their surroundings. There's the mortgage to pay, interest on the mortgage, food, clothing, shoes, and coal that needs to be bought, but there just wasn't enough money to pay for it. Antanas, the father of Jurgis, and the women and children trudged out into the cold and heartless streets, through five feet of snow, to beg for work and money. Still, the family lacked the sufficient income necessary to make ends meet. The old man, Antanas, later succumbs to tuberculosis from the cold cellar he worked in where the chemicals soaked through his shabby boots. Through the duration of the novel, disaster after disaster strikes this unfortunate family. After a tragic accident, Jurgis is fired and turns to drinking to drown his sorrows. Then after a fit of rage, he beats the man forcing sex upon his wife, Ona. So, he is imprisoned and without his income, the family looses their sole possession, their house. When released from jail, Jurgis rushes back to find his wife lingering an agonizing death with childbir
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 975
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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