Beginning of Essay
Life in the late 19th and early 20th century was depressing and was an era filled with extremely hard and strenuous work that did not offer much future for the average person . An average wage earner could be virtually stuck in the same job for the rest their life ....

Middle of Essay
.... and oppression that were the birthrights of a Slovak peasant in Franz Josef's empire" (Bell, p.3). Kracha's desire to leave his plight behind in his native country and restart his life in America is the reason that also drove the Chinese to the United States, earlier the Irish and later the Mexicans (Discussion, 10/11/99). All of these immigrants have had to take some time to assimilate and to be accepted by the "Americans" ethnically, socially, and politically. Kracha is the first of his immediate family to come to the United States. Despite his dreams to leave poverty behind, Kracha, foolishly spends his money on alcohol, landing in New York with ....