1. What food issues are described in this chapter?
2. Why was Elzbieta’s insensibility considered a gift?
3. “They had played the game and they had lost.” (138) Explain this statement.
4. How and why had Jurgis discovered drink? Describe his constant battle with it. What does he blame his difficulties on?
5. Describe Ona at the end of the chapter.
6. What jungle metaphor describes Jurgis at the end of this chapter? How does this characterization of Jurgis contribute to
the feeling that he is now a victim and no longer has control of his life?
3. “They had played the game and they had lost.” (138) Explain this statement.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see this statment I think of the game of chance. They were given what they see as a game of luck and had to make the best with what they had. However, the rules had been hidden on them so they were blindly trying to play a game they didn't know the rules or even know what to make of this play or that (such as the real estate agent or the unions). They feel they were cheated and they had lost everything they were fighting for/playing for and had lost it all; their respect and dignity, health, money, and life.
From BEth: Discuss the food issues in this chapter. The family discusses how the spoiled meat is sent to the sausage rooms where it is spiced and colored to look smoked. They discuss the wonders of chemistry in the transforming of meat either into headcheese, sausage and etc
Delete4. How and why had Jurgis discovered drink? Describe his constant battle with it. What does he blame his difficulties on?
ReplyDeleteJurgis begins to drink to forget the pain. One day, however, he took the plunge, and drank up all that he had in his pockets, and went home half "piped," as the men phrase it. He was happier than he had been in a year. He is ashamed of himself when he drinks, and when he realizes how much he spends on drinking, but he has trouble stopping. Jurgis starts to resent Ona for keeping him tied down to this awful life in Packingtown. He would have ugly moods, when he hated Ona and the whole family, because they stood in his way. He was a fool to have married; he had tied himself down, had made himself a slave. Jurgis turns to alcohol to deal with his frustrations and sense of defeat.
3. “They had played the game and they had lost.” (138) Explain this statement.
DeleteThis is on 113 in your book. Such a sad statement.
How do you think Jurgis' drinking problem will play out? There's a lot of book left. What do you think is going to happen with this issue??
Delete