The Jungle

The house that the Rudkus-Lukoszaite family purchases in Packingtown embodies the promise America tacitly extended to immigrants throughout its history. This promise includes the upward mobility and independence afforded by home ownership, access to new and innovative luxuries like running water, and room to start a family. The house initially symbolizes much of this to the characters themselves. Jurgis and Ona in particular invest a great deal of emotion in the house, tightly associating it with their future together as newlyweds: “They were going to be married as soon as they could get everything settled and a little spare money put by; and this was to be their home—that little room yonder would be theirs!” (61).

However, as time passes, the hollowness of these aspirations becomes clear. The house itself is literally not what it was billed as, having simply been given a fresh coat of paint to conceal its age and shoddy workmanship. The latter results in unexpected expenses, but the house also becomes a financial drain in other ways. At the time they purchased the home, the family didn’t know they would be required to pay interest and taxes over and above the monthly mortgage, and they quickly find themselves struggling to keep up with what they owe.