The Jungle Society and Class Quotes Page 4
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
| Quote #10 "Looks like a lot, hey?" said Master Freddie, fumbling with it. "Fool you, though, ole chappie—they're all little ones! I'll be busted in one week more, sure thing—word of honor. An' not a cent more till the first—hic—guv'ner's orders—hic—not a cent, by Harry! Nuff to set a feller crazy, it is. I sent him a cable, this af'noon—thass one reason more why I'm goin' home. 'Hangin' on the verge of starvation,' I says—'for the honor of the family—hic—sen' me some bread. Hunger will compel me to join you—Freddie." (24.25) |
"Master Freddie" is Freddie Jones, the son of one of the meatpacking magnates of Chicago. He has so much money that he can carry it around in a huge wad, yet he still thinks it's not enough. He has sent his father a message saying that he is "on the verge of starvation" and needs more money – and he actually dares to say this to Jurgis, who really is on the edge of starvation! Freddie's troubles actually indicate a larger economic point about "relative needs." We all have basic needs – food, shelter, clean water, and so on. But once you get into a complex economy, you also have relative needs that allow you to stay competitive. So, if you're a rich guy and you want to do business with other rich guys, you need that snappy suit that marks your social status and economic standing.
Freddie Jones is a victim of relative needs: since he has grown accustomed to a certain standard of living, it becomes hard to adjust that standard downwards even if his dad is trying to keep him on a tight allowance. Jurgis encounters a similar difficulty when he becomes homeless again after being a boss in one of the factories. Even though he has been poor before, it seems worse because he has gotten used to being pretty well-off.
