At the beginning of chapter 14, the readers are once again delved into the numerous magical wonders taking place in the meat factories. By this time in the novel, it describes that the family has begun to learn the ropes of the Packingtown, so to speak. The family is realizing that the company is completely truthful concerning their pun of a slogan. Jonas would come back home from work and tell the family about the spoiled and sour meat being disguised as Number One Grade by all of their chemical experiments, but it's probably classified so because of the poisonous rats all sliced up in there. Yummy...
"With what had been told them by Jonas, who had worked in the pickle rooms, they could now study the whole of the spoiled-meat industry on the inside, and read a new and grim meaning into that old Packingtown jest- that they use everything of the pig except the squeal."
The book described their experience in Packingtown to a game in which they had lost. They had come to America looking for freedom and joy, but they in turn they found oppression and poverty. They all still had that yearning inside of their hearts, though, to be happy and satisfied, but it was dead inside of them, waiting to spring forth. Jurgis found a new way to deal with this hurt- drinking. He was ashamed of this action, but it took every concern that he had away. He tried his best to stay away from it for Ona and his family, but during this time he was full of regret for his family. He declared within himself that his family was the only reason that he was still in this situation, otherwise he would be gone like Jonas. He developed a crude sense of remorse towards them, as if they were a huge unmovable burden upon him. Ona was not in good health, and neither was their little boy, Antanas. He had a number of diseases that he had to live with. This drove Jurgis crazy. He couldn't handle what she was going through.
"For Ona was visibly going to pieces. In the first place she was developing a cough, like the one that had killed old Dede Antanas. She had had a trace of it ever since that fatal morning when the greedy streetcar corporation had turned her out into the rain; but now it was beginning to grow serious, and to wake her up at night. Even worse than that was the fearful nervousness from which she suffered; she would have frightful headaches and fits of aimless weeping, and sometimes she would fling herself down upon the bed and burst into tears. Several times she was quite beside herself and hysterical; and then Jurgis would go half mad with fright."
This job was killing Ona, literally, both mentally and physically. The reading reveals that there was something else aiding in her demise, however. The winter season was coming upon the characters once again. The holiday rush season was taking place, and Ona, Marija, and Elzbieta would have to work until late at night. Around Thanksgiving, a terrible snowstorm had hit the area. The girls would usually meet and walk home together after work, but one night Ona had not came home. Elzbieta and Marija were crying compulsively because they were worried to death. Being as she was not in good health, they assumed she had died at work or in the storm. Jurgis went out to find her, and he finally did right when the mornings work was set to begin. She claimed she had been at her friends house. She was so upset and frightened. Another instance came around Christmas. The same thing happened- Ona didn't come home, but it was even more strange because there was no bad weather or anything to prevent her homecoming. Jurgis goes to her friend Jadvyga's home, where he supposed her to be. She wasn't there. So he goes back home, and there she is. Long story short: the bossman and the forelady who did not like Ona forced her to be a part of a house, or basically be used for sexual purposes against her will. This had been going on since two months into their arrival. Jurgis went crazy in rage, and beat up the dude who was doing this to Ona, and bit part of his face off.
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