Minor Characters
Teta Elzbieta Lukoszaite
The anchor of the family, Teta Elzbieta is Ona's stepmother and the mother of Kristoforas, Juozapas, Stanislovas, and Kotrina. She is a shrewd woman who is not afraid to stand up to Jurgis when his self-destructive habits threaten the family's well-being.
Jokubas Szedvilas
Jokubas is an old friend of Jonas's from Lithuania. He runs a deli in Chicago, and Jonas sees Jokubas as an American success story. However, Jokubas's business is not as lucrative as it seems, and his disappointing experience of America contrasts with the Rudkus family's wide-eyed optimism.
Juozapas Lukoszaite
Juozapas is Teta Elzbieta's son. He is lame. When the family is desperate for food, he scavenges at the dump. There, a wealthy woman takes pity upon him and later helps Jurgis find a job in the harvester works.
Kotrina Lukoszaite
Kotrina is Teta Elzbieta's teenaged daughter. Instead of attending school, she looks after the home and the children. After Jurgis goes to prison, the family's financial situation forces her to sell newspapers downtown. Jurgis uses some of her earnings to fund a drinking binge after Ona's death.
Jonas
Jonas is the brother of Teta Elzbieta. After a short time working, he becomes discouraged and hopeless, and abandons the family without a word.
Tommy Hinds
Tommy Hinds is an ardent socialist and the owner of a hotel where Jurgis happens to find work as a porter. When the two men realize their common political passion, Hinds encourages Jurgis to share his story to convert others to the socialist cause.
Ostrinski
Ostrinski is a Lithuanian-speaking immigrant from Poland who has worked to further socialism in Europe and the United States. He teaches Jurgis the basic principles of socialism after Jurgis is inspired at a socialist meeting.
Aniele Jukniene
Aniele is the proprietress of the tenement where Jurgis's family stays.
Madame Haupt
Madame Haupt is the fat, conniving midwife whom Jurgis finds to care for Ona. Even after she is unable to save Ona, she harangues the grieving Rudkus family for money. Her inconsiderate, selfish demands showcase the way capitalism fosters greed.
Freddie Jones
Freddie Jones is the carefree and careless son of a fabulously wealthy meatpacking magnate. Freddie drunkenly stumbles across Jurgis begging for money on the street, gives him a hundred-dollar bill, and treats him to a lavish dinner at his mansion.
Tamoszius Kuszleika
Tamoszius is a frail violinist and a friend of the family. He and Marija are in love, but their financial privation leaves them unable to afford to marry.