The opening scene takes place in a small bar in Packingtown. The tone of the first scene is one of happiness and joy. Ona Lukoszaite and Jurgis Rudkus are getting married through Lithuanian traditions, a wedding feast called veselija. Ona and Jurgis were engaged before they immigrated to the U.S. At the wedding, it is a tradition for male guests to give money to the newlyweds to help pay for the expenses of the feast. Ona worries that they will not be able to afford it. Work in Packingtown is extremely difficult and back-breaking, working long hours and little wages, most aren't able to find jobs.
The first couple pages of the book are Ona and Jurgis' wedding, but where does this wedding take place? In an area called Packingtown in Chicago. Packingtown is a very dirty and dangerous center for Lithuanian immigrants. It …show more content…
They are a young couple that fell in love in Lithuania and came to America to start a new life. This shows they're adventurous. Once they moved they quickly found jobs in meatpacking industry, where as others could not. Jurgis is a hardworking man that only wants to support his family in anyway possible. He works long, strenuous hours at the meatpacking plant. Ona is a kindhearted mother and mainly stays home to help with her children. They are both very welcoming to other immigrants and are also concerned of people's well being and safety, making sure no one