This is the stuff we came up with in class today.

• Sexual Harrassment—Ona’s being raped by her
• infant Mortality/health care—Ona and child die during childbirth
• police brutality/corruption—wrong move gets a beating, unfair treatment in court
• fair treatment of seasonal workers—turn horses out in winter?
• Homelessness/evictions
• Alcoholism/addiction—runs off to get drunk after Ona’s death
• Prison and food—dope ‘n joe, hospital food
• Adulterated food going to the poor
• Panhandling—Jurgis begging and meeting Duane

Despite the continuing fight over health care reform, Americans need to keep in mind that they have it pretty good in relation to earlier generations. In Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, the protagonist Jurgis is injured on the job and finds himself hospitalized. “Jurgis was ready to leave the hospital at the end of two weeks. . . his place was needed for someone worse off than he” (215). Many today find themselves in similar straights when it comes to health care. They cannot afford to get the care they need. One website that addresses the problems that remain with our health care system, and the need for further reform, can be found at HealthCare.Gov. This site relies on a mythology of the government efforts being a friend to the people most in need of the benefits of health care reform.