Chapter+13

Jurgis is still unemployed, and during this time Kristoforas, one of Elzbieta's sons, passes away. He dies of food poisoning from eating tubercular pork. Elzbieta is extremely sad, and becomes even more depressed when Jurgis tells her he doesn’t have enough money for Kristoforas' funeral. Marija comes to the rescue and gives ten dollars of her own money. This is not enough and Elzbieta must beg her neighbors for the rest. Jurgis becomes so desperate for a job that he decides to find work at the fertilizer plant. All of Packingtown's waste materials are processed at the fertilizer plant. It is a terrible place to work; the air is filled with bone dust and ammonia fumes. One day, Jurgis is called in and told to shovel fertilizer into carts. Jurgis becomes dizzy and sick because of the fumes, and ends up vomiting. He smells constantly, but he does not stop working. Elzbieta's sons Vilimas and Nikalojus sell newspapers downtown. They stop coming home everyday and Jurgis decides to enroll them in school to keep them from going down the wrong path. Elzbieta is forced to get a job, and she ends up tending a sausage machine. It is very boring and repetitive work that affects her health. Elzbieta’s thirteen year old daughter Kotrina is left with all the housework and has to look after her brother Juozapas, and Antanas. Page 127- "And still Jurgis...he could not work." Although the conditions at the fertilizer plant are horrible, Jurgis continues working. He is making a living. Page 129- "It was piece-work...wild beast in a menagerie." Such a sad and depressing depiction of this working woman. Conditions just abolutely horrible for all workers.
 * Chapter Number: 13**
 * Brief Description of the Plot:**
 * Characters in the Chapter:** Kristoforas, Jurgis, Teta Elzbieta, Vilimas, Nikalojus, Kotrina, Juozapas, Antanas
 * Notable Passages (Including Page Number):** Page 123- "Jurgis announced...no money for a funeral." So poor that they cannot even pay for a funeral.