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Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

• The novel opens with a Lithuanian family going to a wedding reception.

• The characters are introduced, one by one.

• The wedding reception, veselija, is being held in the Chicago stockyards.

• Jurgis and Ona are the ones getting married.

• While the reception is traditionally paid for by all the guests, this is being held in the US, so that's not the case.

• Jurgis is an optimist about the hardships of America.

• Jurgis is picked quickly from the line at Central Time Station.

• Jonas, Ona's brother, convinces them to go to America to become rich.

• The family heads to the stockyards.

• Though the house is decrepit, Jurgis remarks about how lucky they are.

Chapter 3

• Jurgis' friend, a deli owner, helps him find a job, even though Jurgis can't speak English.

• Jobs at the stockyards are repetitive and don't require English speaking skills.

• The process of the cattle production...

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