“They had always required the men to be on the killing beds and ready for work at 7 o’clock, although there was almost never any work to be done till the buyers out in the yards had gotten to work...so they would have to loaf around, in a place where the thermometer might be twenty degrees below zero… there were weeks at a time when Jurgis went home after such a day as this with no more than two hours’ work to his credit- which meant about thirty-five cents” (The Jungle, pg 72)
This passage is significant because it emphasizes the horrendous working environment within the stock houses. All of the workers were required to be there at a certain time, and if they were even a minute late they had a chance at losing their job. The workers would be forced to stand in unheated rooms waiting for a task to be assigned to them; once they finally received a job they would have to quickly work or else they would be cut. The men also only got paid for the time they worked, so in the slow winter they would walk away with a very small amount of money. If any worker slacked they would be cut without question because of the abundance of people looking for employment. …show more content…
Jurgis and Ona also just got married so they are in debt from the wedding. With all of the bills the family has to pay the amount of money they earn and hours they work becomes crucial. Immediately after this passage Jurgis expresses his frustration with the company and the stock houses and decides to join the union that is fighting for the worker’s rights. Jurgis attends every meeting the union holds in hopes of making a change to the working
This passage is significant because it emphasizes the horrendous working environment within the stock houses. All of the workers were required to be there at a certain time, and if they were even a minute late they had a chance at losing their job. The workers would be forced to stand in unheated rooms waiting for a task to be assigned to them; once they finally received a job they would have to quickly work or else they would be cut. The men also only got paid for the time they worked, so in the slow winter they would walk away with a very small amount of money. If any worker slacked they would be cut without question because of the abundance of people looking for employment. …show more content…
Jurgis and Ona also just got married so they are in debt from the wedding. With all of the bills the family has to pay the amount of money they earn and hours they work becomes crucial. Immediately after this passage Jurgis expresses his frustration with the company and the stock houses and decides to join the union that is fighting for the worker’s rights. Jurgis attends every meeting the union holds in hopes of making a change to the working