The Jungle begins at the veselija (wedding ceremony) of Jurgis and Ona Rudkus. Jurgis and Ona are Lithuanian immigrants who come to America in hopes of finding a
             better life. Along with them come a group of family and friends; Marija Berczynsleas
             (Onas cousin), Teta Elzbieta Lukoszaite (Onas stepmother), Jonas (Teta Elzbieta's
             brother), Teta Elzbieta's six children (Jouzapas, Kotrina, Kristoforas, Nikalojus,
             Stanislovas, and Vilimas Lukoszaite), and Dede Antanas (Jurgis Grandfather). All come
             to America ready to experience a better, easier life.
             Instead, they are greeted by disappointing and hardship. At first they are forced to
             cram into a boarding house. They find low paying jobs in hazardous working
             environments. They purchase a house through a scam created to rob ignorant immigrants
             of their money. They learn the cruelties of the bosses who take a third of Dede's salary
             because he is old and finds it difficult to find a job. Every member of the family must
             work including the women and children.
             Dede dies at his job in the pickling rooms. Jurgis and Ona have their first son
             Antanas. Jurgis becomes injured and loses his job. Jonas disappears, and little
             Kristoforus dies (possibly because of the bad meat he ate that day). Onas boss (Phil
             Conner) begins raping and black mailing her. When Jurgis learns of this he attacks
             Connor and ends up in jail. While Jurgis is in jail, Marija injures her hand and is out of
             work. Ona and little Stanislovas also lose their jobs. The family loses their home
             because they cannot make the payment. When Jurgis gets out of prison, he finds the
             family back at the boarding house where they had first stayed. He arrives just in time to
             see Ona die trying to give birth. The family struggles on, until one day Antanas dies.
             Jurgis then abandons the family and goes out on his own. He travels around on his own
             ...