The Character and Ambition of the Immigrants

From the passage, it is evident that immigrants can be said to be hardworking. The chapter represents Jurgis, Ona, and Elzbieta as hardworking workers in their respective workplaces. It is clear that that the immigrants understand that they need to work extra hard for them to survive and achieve the American dream. They endured working in the meatpacking sector despite having been warned by Jonas about the underhand practices that were carried out in this industry (Upton, 1906, Chapter 14). Despite the harsh conditions experienced in their respective workplaces, these immigrants continued to toil hard to achieve a means of sustenance. 

The immigrants can be said to be tolerant and very persistent. These immigrants have worked in the meat industry where conditions are deplorable but they have still struggled to uphold their positions. Jurgis once worked on the kill floor, but later shifted to the fertilizer industry, while Ona works in packaging. Marija had worked at canning and is now working at beef trimming, Jonas was in pickling rooms and Elzbieta is in sausage making. From the passage, it is clear that Jonas was the first to join the industry and the others had been patient to become engaged in the industry. Each member of the immigrant family has learned the means of tolerating conditions and bearing with the harsh working environment. Elzbieta is noted to let her mind go dead and that way, she feels nothing. Jurgis has resolved to use alcohol, which has made matters worse as he is now ashamed of himself for drinking (Upton, 1906, Chapter 14). The family has been noted to have adopted a way of silence and hardly talk to each other as a way of keeping off their misery. Ona is indicated as one who resorts to weeping and crying. The immigrants even in recent past continue to provide a significant number of the employees in the meatpacking and processing companies thereby using this as a means of achieving the American dream (Artz, Jackson & Orazem, 2010, p 299).

References

Artz, G., Jackson, R., & Orazem, P. F. (2010). Is it a jungle out there? Meat packing, immigrants, and rural communities. Journal of agricultural and resource economics, 299-315.Upton, S. (1906). The jungle. c. 1965, illus