Introduction to the slaughterhouse

The book describes the tragic experience of a Lithuanian immigrant family, the Jurgis family. They came to the United States from their hometown full of longing to pursue their dreams, and found jobs in the Chicago slaughterhouse district, thinking that a better life would begin from here. Unexpectedly, disasters followed one after another. First, Jurgis was injured at work and lost his job. Then his wife Ona was raped by the foreman. Jurgis beat the foreman angrily and was imprisoned. Later, his wife died in childbirth and his young son drowned. The men among friends and relatives live on the streets, the women are forced into prostitution, and the American dream turns into a terrible nightmare. What is even more tragic is that this evil capitalist machine not only destroyed his family, but also poisoned his soul. He gave up on himself, engaged in gang robbery, and even became a scab during a strike in the slaughterhouse. Fortunately, in the surging socialist movement, Jurgis finally found his goal in life, and his class consciousness was awakened. By the end of the novel, he is convinced that socialism is the only way out, and this is exactly what Sinclair believes.