It really is fascinating how
optimistic this family is when they make it to America. They all get horrible
labor jobs, with no mercy of any kind, and yet they are as happy as can be. The
perseverance of Jurgis in particular is truly amazing. He can’t even afford to
marry, and works 12-16 hours every day wading through blood, but thinks he is
privileged because he has a job. In a way, he is privileged, because there are
hundreds of other people in the same situation who can’t even find work in the
cheap labor industry. His view is understandable, because he hasn’t known
anything better than what he has now.
I get the feeling that perseverance
will be a theme throughout the story. The only way to so survive is to never
give up. If you do, there’s nothing to cushion your fall, and a lot breaks on
the way down. From the tone of the book so far, I’m guessing there will be a
lot more misfortunes heading towards the families of Jurgis and Ona.
I wonder if the family ever makes
it to a more American standard life or if they just end up being the victim of
so many different events that they fall to pieces. This seems like the kind of
story that could definitely end in a really brutal way. The setting is
certainly one of brutality.
In chapter
6, Grandma Majauszkiene says that everyone who sleeps in a certain room in the
house Jurgis’ family bought is sure to get consumption. Have you figured out
what that is? It sounds like a sort of lung problem, because it mentioned that
someone who had it was coughing a lot. I’m curious as to whether it will affect
the family later in the story or not.
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