The turn of the 20th century marked the beginning of many opportunities for various types of people and corporations. It became a chance to start one’s life again from a fresh page; whether that be immigrating to a new country or starting a business from the ground. The industrial revolution had just begun in the United States, and it seemed to be a perfect time to get involved with the industrial business. It was almost as if one could easily “strike gold” while in the US. In fact, the blanket of perceived safety could not have been more false. There were countless dangers of immigrating to a new country or even creating a new business. These included potentially mind and body injuring dangers, such as spiraling into depression after losing
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Things do not go as expected when most of the family becomes forced to work in unsafe conditions in an attempt to pay for housing and other necessities. Life never seems to favor Jurgis and his family; they encounter various issues ranging from family deaths and disappearances to sudden injuries that impair the family. Overall, The Jungle served as an example of how immigrants and even civilians were open to horrible working and living conditions during the American Industrial …show more content…
Urban areas were cramped due to the influx of immigrants attempting to gain success, and rent, even for a mediocre apartment, was hard to pay. With twelve people living in one house in the beginning of The Jungle, Jurgis’s family is exposed to conditions where disease could easily spread from person to person. In order for people to support themselves and possibly family, they would have to compete for jobs that endangered them. Even if they were able to secure a job, there were two potential issues: most employers would pay the bare minimum because of the many replacements available, and there would be no guarantee that a factory could stay in business. In The Jungle many family members have to find new work because of a factory shutting down. With no other adults to help pay the rent, Teta Elzbieta, Ona’s stepmother, sends out more and more of her children into Chicago in an effort to survive. Such an action was not uncommon in the Industrial Revolution; “children were often found among adults working full-time jobs”. Many children were robbed of their childhood because they were needed to support their families in times of trouble. The Industrial Revolution forced immigrants to compete over basic human rights such as housing and food; this need to survive also forced families to risk the lives of their
Things do not go as expected when most of the family becomes forced to work in unsafe conditions in an attempt to pay for housing and other necessities. Life never seems to favor Jurgis and his family; they encounter various issues ranging from family deaths and disappearances to sudden injuries that impair the family. Overall, The Jungle served as an example of how immigrants and even civilians were open to horrible working and living conditions during the American Industrial …show more content…
Urban areas were cramped due to the influx of immigrants attempting to gain success, and rent, even for a mediocre apartment, was hard to pay. With twelve people living in one house in the beginning of The Jungle, Jurgis’s family is exposed to conditions where disease could easily spread from person to person. In order for people to support themselves and possibly family, they would have to compete for jobs that endangered them. Even if they were able to secure a job, there were two potential issues: most employers would pay the bare minimum because of the many replacements available, and there would be no guarantee that a factory could stay in business. In The Jungle many family members have to find new work because of a factory shutting down. With no other adults to help pay the rent, Teta Elzbieta, Ona’s stepmother, sends out more and more of her children into Chicago in an effort to survive. Such an action was not uncommon in the Industrial Revolution; “children were often found among adults working full-time jobs”. Many children were robbed of their childhood because they were needed to support their families in times of trouble. The Industrial Revolution forced immigrants to compete over basic human rights such as housing and food; this need to survive also forced families to risk the lives of their