Searching for a better life a young couple Jurgis Rudkus and Ona Lukoszaite immigrate to Chicago along with relatives. Jurgis driven by his faith in the American Dream finds work at a slaughterhouse. Jurgis and his family discover starting a new life in America is not easy as expected. They face gruesome working conditions, deception, unions, unemployment, corruption, crime, drugs poverty and death. Rather than the riches they were seeking Jurgis and his poor family from a small town in Lithuania seem to only attain crushed spirits.
