The change in environment results in a physical change in Jurgis. For the first time in years he is able to bathe and lose the stench of the fertilizer plant from himself and his clothes. This is a symbolic baptism, a cleansing into new life. However, Sinclair does not create the typical literary pastoral, where rural life is presented in an idealized manner. Instead, some of the same problems evident in the city exist in the country, with some farmers treating animals better than they treat workers.
Jurgis' life as a tramp does refresh and revive him. This remarkable and uplifting change is the direct result of escaping the city; however, the escape cannot be permanent. One sign of the corruption and evils of capitalism follows the migratory workers: bands of prostitutes.
