Response to Chapters 20-23

While reading chapter twenty, I felt sad for Jurgis because after getting drunk,
he realized that Ona was gone forever and that there was nothing he could do
about it. I think that Jurgis came to his senses when he promised to take care of Antanas. I felt horrible when Jurgis found out that he got blacklisted by Phil Conner. All of the job opportunities for him in Packingtown were no longer available. I think that Jurgis had a lot of courage when he continued looking for jobs. His courage paid off when he met and old friend from the union who gave him a job working on harvest machines. I felt a lot of hope for Jurgis when he got his new job. I lost all of my hope when Jurgis found out that his department will be closed down until further notice.

During chapter twenty one, I felt sad for Jurgis and his entire family because the only income they were getting came from the children. I became joyful to hear that while Juozapas was in the local dump a rich woman came up to him and asked
about his life. After hearing about his life she decided to find Jurgis a job and helped write a letter of recommendation for Jurgis. I was happy to hear that Jurgis had got a job at the steel mill. I thought that it was unfortunate that Jurgis couldn't return to the boardinghouse during the week because his job was to far away. I was glad that he at least got to see his family on the weekend. I felt terrible when Jurgis returned home one day from work to discover that Antanas had drowned in the mud in the streets.

In chapter twenty two, I felt really bad for Jurgis because both Ona and Antanas died in only a short period of time. I think it was a good idea for Jurgis to get on the railroad because it gave him a chance to clear his mind and think about what had happened. I felt relieved when Jurgis met a farmer who was kind enough to sell Jurgis dinner and let him sleep in his barn. I was excited to hear that the farmer had offered Jurgis a job,  but in the end Jurgis decided to decline the offer. I felt sad for Jurgis because he had to do anything he could to get food to survive. I felt hopeful for Jurgis because Jurgis works for two weeks for a farmer and earns a fortune. I thought that Jurgis would go home immediately to share his earnings with his family but instead he went back to his old ways and spent his money on alcohol and women. I felt like Jurgis let his family down when he did this because he wasted his money all in one night.