Response to Chapters 7-20 in The Jungle

While reading chapter seven, I felt sad for Jurgis and Ona because their wedding caused them to be over one hundred dollars in debt. This made tensions rise in their household as everyone was afraid of how they were going to get the hundred dollars. Also, I felt angry when companies wouldn't give their workers a day off when they got sick. Especially, when they got sick from their unsanitary working conditions. It made me feel depressed when Dede Antanas died due to his working conditions. I couldn't believe how most of the companies didn't have heat in their facilities when it was winter.

During chapter eight, I felt happy that Tamoszius and Marija liked each other. Tamoszius brought a lot of cheer into the family's life when he would play his violin. Tamoszius would bring Marija to his events he played at and Marija would bring home food for her family. I felt a lot of joy when Tamoszius proposed to Marija and she accepted. I felt sad when Marija's canning factory shuts down and she loses her job. Also, many other people suffered from factories closing down and many others ended up losing their job. I felt angry because even Jurgis suffered from his hours being cut back and never got paid for partial hours. After all the family has been through, the wage earners decided to join the union.

In chapter nine, I felt happy that Jurgis wanted to learn English after attending many union meetings. I felt sad when Jurgis was taken advantage of by a worker at his plant. The man said to follow him to the voting booth and told Jurgis who to vote for. The only positive outcome was that Jurgis earned two dollars. I felt glad that Jurgis started to learn all the secrets that were going on in Packingtown because he deserves to know the truth. He knows all the secrets of the meat packing companies and I hope that he uses all of this information for good.

While reading chapter ten, I felt that Jurgis took control over his agent by telling the him that he wanted to know all of the houses hidden expenses. The agent told them that they must pay seven dollars a year for insurance, ten dollars a year in taxes, and six dollars a year for water. I found this to be very heartbreaking for Jurgis and all of his family because they were lied to about all of these expenses when they first bought the house. I felt bad for the people in Packingtown when the flies were everywhere because I know how annoying they can be. I felt like this chapter was a roller coaster ride for Marija because she got her job back which made her extremely happy, although she lost it two months later. I felt horrible for the family because the loss of Marija's income was devastating. I felt extremely happy hearing that Ona is pregnant and that Marija got another job as a beef trimmer. I felt happy when Ona gave birth to a baby boy and named him Antanas after Jurgis's father.

During chapter eleven, I felt horrible for the workers of Packingtown because they were being worked harder only to see their wages cut. I felt happy that Marija opened a savings account because that way her money will be safe. I think that this gave Marija confidence because she earned all of this money by herself. I felt mad that Marija got tricked into believing that their was a run on the bank when only a drunk man got arrested and he drew a crowd. I felt like Marija was smart when she sewed her savings into her clothes to protect all of it but I think it would have been a better idea for her to put it all back in her savings account.

In chapter twelve, I felt heartbroken when Jurgis sprained his ankle and couldn't return to work for three months. It seemed like work was getting to everyone because Stanislovas suffered from frostbite on his hands and he often didn't want to go to work because of it. I felt shocked when Jonas disappeared from his family. I thought that it was smart that Nikalojus and Vilmas took over his job as newspaper sellers. I thought it was a good experience for the boys because they learned the tricks of the trade when it came to working in Packingtown.

While reading chapter thirteen, I felt sad because Kristoforas died from eating bad meat. Kristoforas was Teta Elzbieta's youngest child and she was so heartbroken. I felt like it was generous of Marija to loan Teta Elzbieta money to pay for a real funeral. I felt horrible that Jurgis couldn't find work and had to settle for a position in the fertilizer mill. I felt happy that Teta Elzbieta was getting a job but I think that the working conditions will take a toll on her body.

During chapter fourteen, I felt like it was a bad idea for Jurgis and his family to know all of the secrets of the meatpacking industry. This ultimately split the family apart and Ona and Jurgis grew distant with each other. I felt sad to hear that Antanas was suffering from various childhood illnesses and his will to live was what got him to his first birthday. This had put a toll on Ona who is pregnant again. She developed a bad cough and cried hysterically because of the way her life has changed.

In chapter fifteen, I felt upset for the workers because they were putting in 15-16 hour days. I felt very suspicious when Ona didn't come home two nights in a row and said that she was staying at a friend's house because of the snow. I felt like Jurgis still cared about Ona because he got her to confess about what she had been doing when she didn't come home. Ona said that her boss pleaded her to become  his mistress. Her boss ended up raping her when everyone had left and I felt horrible for Ona. I felt like her boss was out of line when he threatened Ona and her family. Ona was forced to accompany her boss to Miss Henderson's brothel in the evenings for two months. I felt like Jurgis took everything to far when he stormed in Ona's workplace and sunk his fingers into her boss's throat. Jurgis didn't even notice a half of dozen men in the factory who charged at him and took him to the police station.

While reading chapter sixteen, I felt like Jurgis was looking out for Ona when he attacked her boss. Jurgis is assigned a date for his trial and a three hundred dollar bond. I felt like his privacy was invaded when he was taken to the county jail and had to take all of his clothes off. I felt disgusted when the book talked about how cell contained a bug infested mattress. I felt sad when Jurgis realized that it was Christmas Eve and he wouldn't be able to spend Christmas with his family. I felt like Jurgis was developing feelings for Ona again because he worried about her illness.

During chapter seventeen, I felt happy that Jurgis met someone while he was in jail. The man's name is Jack Duane and he helped Jurgis out by giving him his mistress's address and encouraged him to seek help when he needs to. I felt sad for Jurgis when his trial was a failure and he was sentenced to thirty days in prison. I felt horrible when Stanislovas visits him to tell him that Ona, Teta Elzbieta and Marija have all lost their jobs and they are unable to buy food or pay for the rent. I felt no hope when the whole family couldn't obtain other jobs because they were too sick to work. Most of the income the family receives is from begging.

In chapter eighteen, I felt like the prison was unfair to Jurgis by making him stay an extra three days because he couldn't come up with the money to pay for his trial. I felt like Jurgis was strong when he had to walk twenty miles just to get home from the prison. I felt horrible for Jurgis when he found another family living in his house. He learned that his family had been evicted and sent back to live in the boarding house where they first stayed. I felt like Jurgis still had feelings for Ona when he heard her scream because she was giving birth to her second child. Jurgis rounded up a dollar and a quarter to get help for Ona. This was a pure act of kindness and this showed that Jurgis still cared about Ona.

While reading chapter nineteen, I felt like Jurgis was so kind to Ona by getting her someone to attend to her. Madame Haupt wanted twenty five dollars and Jurgis finally convinced her to go for the dollar and the quarter he had. Jurgis is asked to leave Ona for the night and come back in the morning. I felt sad because when he did come back he found Madame Haupt covered in blood. She informs him that the baby died and that Ona is dying. I felt horrible because the minute Jurgis rushes to see Ona she recognizes him for a minute and then dies. Jurgis goes back to his old ways of being depressed and getting drunk.

Reponse to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

After reading the first part of this book, I felt sad because Oskar's dad is involved in 9-11. Oskar talked a lot about his last memories he had with his dad and how much fun they would have with each other. This made me feel horrible because it seemed like the two of them did everything together and had a very strong bond. I don't like how this whole book is written. The author doesn't follow a plot at all so I can't follow what is happening and who is involved. I understand that this is written in Oskar's perspective but this is just so confusing. This book makes me so confused but yet I am so intrigued to keep on reading more. One question I had was, Who loses their voice and has to resort to using a pen and paper? I think that it is his dad because it seems like all Oskar is talking about is his dad in the first couple chapters but I also think that it could be his grandpa as well. Overall, I really like this book because it makes me want to read more and it always keeps me on my toes. The author of this book makes me really mad about the way he writes this book because I get really confused easily and I have to read some parts over and over again.

Response to Chapters 4-6 of The Jungle

In reading the fourth chapter, I felt happy because it seemed like everything was going well for Jurgis, Ona and their family. Marija receives a job where she paints labels on cans and she earns nearly two dollars a day. Also, Jurgis suggested that the children go to school and get an education. I think this is a wonderful idea because knowledge is power and the children will be able to get higher income jobs all because they attended school when they were young. One question I had was. why was Jurgis, Ona and their family so cautious about purchasing their new house? I believe they acted this way because they have never signed a contract for  before. Also, they could have gotten cheated out of money in the past, so this time they were going to make sure that that didn't happen again. I liked this chapter because it made me feel hope for the family and their future.

While reading the fifth chapter, I felt disappointed in the way Americans worked. Examples of this are that employees would pack unsafe meat for consumption and complained about their jobs. My question is, why would the owners of the packing plant let working conditions become increasingly unsafe? I think owners were lazy and it would take to much time and effort to make things safer. Also, I think it would take a lot of money and this would cut into the company's profit. I disliked this chapter because Jurgis, Ona and their family were now realizing some truths about jobs in America.

When reading the sixth chapter, I felt very mad when Jurgis, Ona and their entire family were lied to by the realtor about having to pay interest on their new home. The additional eight dollars for interest would create a hardship on the family to make the payments. One question I had was, why did Ona have to pay ten dollars to the forelady in order to get a job? I think the forelady was taking advantage of immigrants who don't understand how things work in America. Also, I think that the lady was struggling for money herself and this was a way to earn extra income. I disliked this chapter because employers were taking advantage of immigrants by lying and cheating them out of wages.

Response to Chapters 1-3 of The Jungle

While reading chapter 1, I felt happy that Jurgis and Ona were getting married. I also felt excited because they were in America with a fresh new start. One question I had was, Why did some guests take advantage of the wedding reception? I believe they did this because times were tough and people wanted free food and drink. Also, I think that the guests were depressed over their finances so they needed an escape by drinking and being disruptive. In the book, Ona realizes a lot of people aren't contributing and she becomes frightened over the cost of her wedding and how she will ever pay for it. I liked this chapter because it was easy to understand and the storyline really flowed.

While reading chapter 2, I felt horrible that Ona's family was in debt after her father died. Also, I felt hopeful that coming to America would help Ona, Jurgis and their extended family by providing with higher paying jobs. One question I had was, why did Jokubas lie to them about making a fortune in America? I believe he lied because he didn't want to disappoint them. Also, he wanted them to think that he was more successful than them. I felt very sad when the author described the boardinghouse because they were overcrowded and contained a horrible smell of animal flesh. When the author explains the neighborhood I wondered if Chicago was going to be a better place for Ona and Jurgis. I disliked this chapter because the author used too much detail to describe both the boardinghouse and the town of Packingtown.

In reading chapter 3, I felt grossed out when Jokabus takes the family to the meat packing plant because the author described the suffering of the animals at the plant. Also, I felt frightened for the workers because they could cut themselves at any point in time. A question I had from this chapter was, how could someone work at this plant under these conditions? I believe that the workers didn't have a choice because they needed money and the plant was a major employer in the area. Also, I think that the workers got used to the conditions after working at the plant for a long time. I disliked this chapter because of the way the author graphically described the meat packing plant and all the statistics that went along with it.