In the book The Jungle, there are many characters. The major character is Jurgis Rudkus. The book revolves around his life in Packingtown. Jurgis is originally from Lithuania. When we first meet him he appears as very large and powerful. He has a wife, Ona Lukoszaite, and a son named Antanas. Mike Skully is the powerful political leader in Packingtown. Phil Connor is a foreman in Packingtown “politically connected” through Skully and causes much trouble for Jurgis. Jack Duane is an experienced and educated criminal who is also “politically connected”. A man named Ostrinski is a half blind tailor who teachers Jurgis about socialism. There are also members of Ona’s family who play minor roles in the story. The story opens with a feast at Jurgis and Ona’s wedding in America. They have a wedding feast after the ceremony. This is where Ona hopes her and Jurgis get some money. To their surprise, the young do not observe the tradition of giving money to the bride to help pay for the feast. Ona becomes worried that they are not going have enough money, but Jurgis simply replies by saying “I will work harder”. The story then flashbacks to how the two first met. Jurgis met Ona at a horse fair, and they fell in love. They were too poor to have a wedding because Ona’s father had died. In hopes of finding freedom and fortune, they left for America, bringing several members of Ona’s family with them.As soon as Jurgis and his family arrive in America they are faced with a problem. They do not speak English and get lost. Finally, they get a cab. They are let off at the yards and bump into Jonas’s friend. He finds them a place to stay in Packingtown. It is a section of Chicago where the meat packing industry is centralized. Jurgis tours the plant and sees the efficiency. No part of the animal is wasted. The tour guide specifically says, “ they use everything ...
