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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Jurgis find out Marija is doing?

2. What does Jurgis do with the money the children bring home?

3. Where does Jurgis stay for a long time, leaving him alone and penniless at the end?

4. Why is Ona's pregnancy in trouble?

5. Who does this person think Packingtown should be in the hands of?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Jurgis released from prison later than he thought would be?

2. Why doesn't Ona come to the courtroom during Jurgis' sentencing?

3. Who is the visitor Jurgis gets in jail?

4. Where does the drunk young man take Jurgis?

5. Where does Jurgis finally find the job that makes him happy, though he does not hold onto it for long?

6. When Jurgis gets out of the hospital, what does he do?

7. What happens to Jurgis' $100?

8. How far away is Jurgis' new job?

9. Is Jurgis successful in getting the rest of the family converted to socialism?

10. What does Jurgis learn about his family when he asks around?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jurgis could be seen as a mythical tragic hero of the story. However, as with all heroes, he has flaws. What are some of Jurgis' flaws? What are some of his strengths? Do you think he is a hero in the end of the story? Why or why not? How does he affect others? Or is his battle an internal one?

Essay Topic 2

The idea of not being able to speak English is one that hurts Jurgis and his family in the beginning of their time in the US. Describe three situations in which knowing English would have helped Jurgis and his family. What are some ways that the packing plant owners took advantage of the workers because of the language barrier? Do you think it was fair of the packers to take advantage of the workers? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Survival of the fittest seems to be an overarching theme of this novel. Those who struggle to survive are often doomed to fail, while those who persevere still don't get all they want. Choose three character from the story and describe how they struggled to survive. What was the outcome? Who were the fittest in the story? Why did you choose these characters?

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This section contains 645 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample