Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace
The author Jonathan Kozol argues that there is a whole different kind of society living among us in New York City. That population involves the poor and destitute that inhabit the city. Kozol demonstrates that it is a very different way of living when people are poor in New York City. The problem is that there is that the poor have been relocated to places like the Bronx and this way of life forms a culture that these people are used to. In Amazing Grace by Kozol, he follows a boy named Cliffie around for a while, walking the different streets. Throughout their walk Kozol sees several sights. When the two walk down Jackson Avenue he sees the prostitutes that occupy the corners, the pile of trash that strangers have dumped, and the waste incinerator. All these things Cliffie, a seven year old boy, understands as normal.
He has a very different view of life than other kids who grow up in middle class communities. Kozol includes details about how Cliffie acts and responds to some questions and ideas. When the reader experiences Cliffie's outlook on certain topics like death a very clear difference can be identified between him and a child that has not had to struggle with poverty. The child looks to be nowhere near close to a teenager and yet the seriousness in his voice as he talks about drug abuse and how he has witnessed murders resembles that of a much older man. The slums force these kids to be grown up and robs them of their childhood.
Comments
Kozol clearly demonstrates the differences between what kids in the Bronx have to deal with and how it makes them different. Negative experiences can change anyone, children more so than others. When a child is growing up knowing nothing but how to stay alive in the place that they live, the idea of school is not going to be as important as where the next meal is coming from or if they will stay warm during the night. There are also problems with the support that they need. There are frequent problems with the food program. Some legitimate people who need it cannot get it, and others who have deceased have family members cashing in on the government's mistake. The point is, how are children supposed to make it to school and do well while the community that they live in continuously keeps their attention focused on survival.
