Jurgis Rudkus

Jurgis Rudkus is a young man in his twenties when the novel begins. Jurgis lived in the countryside of Lithuania when he fell in love with a young woman he saw at a fair. Jurgis jumps at the chance to marry this young girl, Ona, when her father dies and her stepmother agrees to the arrangement. Jurgis and his father travel to America with Ona’s family where they hope to find their fortune in Chicago.

Jurgis is a strong man who believes that as long as he works hard, he can provide for his family in almost any circumstance. Whenever something bad happens to the family, Jurgis announces that he will just work harder to fix it. However, Jurgis soon learns that working hard is not always enough to help his family survive in the packing houses of Chicago.

Jurgis loses his job once because of...