I have heard so much about this book over the years and have yet to read it until now. Making my way through the ranks of higher education I have constantly heard about the vivid and cruel images of the slaughterhouse that is the focus of the story yet the first couple of chapters sound very optimistic. Jurgis comes to America in search of work knowing full well the benefits of moving to America. To the eye of the well informed, a job in the slaughterhouse may not have been one to go after. This is where I was caught off guard by the optimism in which Jurgis has when taking the position. Packingtown did not sound like a pleasant place to live but Jurgis was determined to provide for his family and it is this quality that made me an early fan of him. He must have had doubts when he began working in the slaughterhouse but he knew that it paid much better than any job he had in his homeland. I'm beginning to wonder about how long it will take the working conditions to catch up to him, how long will until the cruelty starts to wear on his mind? I am very interested to continue reading the book!