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Chapters one-eight major details

Submitted by bradb on Mon, 04/12/2010 - 11:56
Chapter 1
  • Traditions of the vesleija (wedding feast):
    • No one goes hungry
    • guests help pay for the wedding by dancing with the bride and dropping money into a hat
    • Couples are not allowed to dance with other people. They dance with one person all night.
  • It takes one year to earn $300 (lack of income)
    • The wedding and entertainment cost close to a year's pay
    • Parents lie about children's ages so theuy can have jobs to supplement income, disregarding child labor laws.
    • Jurgis tells Ona he will work harder.
    • Many lithuanian immigrants have a lack of income so children scavenge to supplement the lack of income.
  • Introduction of characters
    • Marija, Ona's cousin
    • Jurgis, groom, married to Ona
    • Ona Lukoszaite, bride, married to Jurgis
    • Teta Elizbeta, Ona's stepmother
    • Kotrina
    • Grandmother Majauszkiene
    • Tamoszius Kiszika, leader of the band
    • Dede Antanas Rudkis, Jurgis' father
    • Little Sebastijonas
    • policeman, saloon keeper, dancers, etc.
      • After wedding, Jugis tells Ona that she must not go to Browns. She replies with "I dare not. It will ruin us."
Chapter 2
  • Family background and Jurgis meeting Ona at horse fair, offering to buy her.
  • Ona's father dies; her family and Jurgis decide to move to America together to make it rich
  • When first getting to Chicago, they get lost and scared, are over chargedVisit stockyards and see the terrible conditions, which they don't take to be terrible.
  • See old friend Jokubas who owns delicatessen and helps them out.
Chapter 3
  • Jurgis gets a job at Browns.
  • Jokubas takes family on a tour of the stockyards
  • See pigs and cattle slaughtered
  • Group is amazed at the efficiency of it all, but see only what is allowed to be seen
Chapter 4
  • Jurgis starts job sweeping guts into a trap
  • Family looks for and discusses buying a house
  • They meet housing agent, see the house and our disappointed
  • Family suspects a swindle, but sign contract anyway
  • Jurgis comes home from work and suspects a swindle too
  • Jurgis takes contract to a lawyer who assures him all is legal.
Chapter 5
  • bought a house
  • Marija still waiting for a job and has gone through her savings
  • Acclimating to mass commercialization
  • Problems with the plumbing
  • Makes contact with the union delegate
  • Describes management structure at Durhams, top to bottom. A lot of bureaucracy and competition. No job security even for management level staff.
Chapter 6
  • Jurgis and Ona wanted to avoid a big wedding, but Teta wouldn't allow it.
  • After buying the house, they find they were ripped off
  • Stanislovas got fake papers to lie about his age so he could work.
  • House payment goes from $12 per month once interest is compounded at 7 percent per annum.
  • Told the house was brand new, but turns out it is over 15 years old.
Chapter 7
  • Everyone goes back to work the day after the wedding.
  • House had no sewer connection; emptied under house
  • Everything they spent money on was scammed; bug killer was plaster
  • Antanas dies from consumption/T.B.; worked self to death for 2/3 of his wages.
  • People wait outside factories for work, starving, freezing, and suffering.
  • Stanislovas sees boys ears fall off after arriving at work in freezing weather.
  • Men in slaughter houses covered in frozen blood; accidents common
  • sickness and injury could lead to job loss.
  • Home could not hold in heat; lacked insulation of Lithuanian homes.
Chapter 8
  • Winter conditions for the poor were harsh
  • steady employment hard to come by. Hours irregular and often unpaid. No pay for working partial hours.
  • Slaughterhouse meat buyers would often show up late, and since all cattle needed to be slaughtered the day they it was purchased, this would leave to some long days for the workers.
  • Marija becomes engaged to the fiddle player (Toma). Sees things in the city that are still foreign to the rest of the family.
  • After Marija becomes engaged and feels quite fortunate about her circumstances, her factor closes down and leaves her without work.
  • Jurgis and family become dismayed over working conditions, join unions, attend and are vocal at union meetings.
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