Almost immediately, expenses for the house consume all the family's money. Jurgis still cannot understand why many of the men hate their work, and he has his first encounter with the union, which, at this point, he has no use for.
Throughout the chapter, Antanas is still job hunting. The only opportunity he has to work entails losing 33% of his earnings weekly — payment to the man who found the job for him — and although this is outrageous, he accepts. Once hired, Antanas is forced to partake in the unethical and illegal activities of the meatpacking industry. Jurgis also witnesses and partakes in improper meat-production activities. During this time he comes to realize those who laughed at his faith in America "might be right."
Marija's job is also the result of an unethical practice: She takes the place of a sick woman who had worked at the same job for 15 years. The forelady did not care that the previous employee had worked the job for so long; she only knew that she missed one day of work.
