Why were the first chapters so important in the story, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin?

The opening chapters describe the conditions of the garment factory, and the negative aspects of the situation in which the women were expected to perform their jobs. Low wages, poor conditions, and general neglect were all contributing factors to the disaster. The opening also introduces us to the employees who earned their wages in the factory.... they were immigrants, who were eager to help feed their families in a new country.... poor women, who simply wanted the opportunity to better themselves and put food on the table. Their circumstances and need for money contributed to their silence about the conditions they worked in. None of them wanted to lose their jobs.