Essay on Amazing Grace - 1936 Words

Amazing Grace, written by Jonathan Kozol. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;At first glance, it seems that the author is going to take us on yet another journalistic ride through the land of the poor. Similar to the ones you read about, or hear in the news. However, this is not the case; the real underlying theme is what is society doing about the plight of the poor? Kozol uses the views of children to emphasize that these reports on living conditions are not being obtained by â€Å"disgruntled† adults, but from innocent, learning children whose only misfortune was being born to this particular area. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The author takes us from the seventh richest congressional district in the nation (being E 59th Street in New York†¦show more content†¦Albeit the government helped get these people off the streets and out of homeless shelters and provided them with rent-free housing, they then decided to put them all together in one location. The City has effectively segregated them from the rest of the population and is telling them that they are not worthy of living with the rest of the population. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Another factor involved is air pollution. With an incinerator located right in the middle of the South Bronx, it is no wonder why so many children have asthma. â€Å"According to a zip code breakdown of New York shown †¦ by Dr. Robert Massad †¦ asthma statewide in New York is 1.8 per 1000 people. In New York City, it is 2.5 per 1000, but in Mott Haven the rate rises to 6.0† (p. 171). To compound matters of health, the buildings that house these people are both rat infested and in such need of repair that they are borderline condemned. Most of the elevators do not work thus forcing its inhabitants to utilize the stairs which is very time consuming and energy draining; especially for the elderly. Once these people go outside, they are met with an extraordinary amount of drugs and violence and find it much safer to just stay inside their homes. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Cultural differences between these people and those of higher income communities add to the list of reasons as well. Racism isShow MoreRelatedEssay on Amazing Grace1770 Words   |  8 Pages Jonathan Kozols Amazing Grace is a book about the trials and tribulations of everyday life for a group of children who live in the poorest congressional district of the United States, the South Bronx. Their lives may seem extraordinary to us, but to them, they are just as normal as everyone else. What is normal? For the children of the South Bronx, living with the pollution, the sickness, the drugs, and the violence is the only way of life many of them have ever known. In this book, theRead MoreAmazing Grace Essay795 Words   |  4 Pageschildren in Jonathan Kozols Amazing Grace. Who defines them as other? How? What makes them feel like nobodies? What makes them feel like somebodies? What is the role of religion in this daily struggle for human dignity? Drugs, violence, prostitution, pollution, infestation, and sickness of all kinds are present in South Bronx, New York. Unfortunately, children are surrounded and involved in all these problems and more. In Jonathan Kozol’s novel Amazing Grace, an evil reality full of racialRead MoreEssay on The Analysis – Amazing Grace747 Words   |  3 PagesThe Analysis – Amazing Grace Kiel Carino ENG 125 Professor Olabisi Adenekan October 29, 2012 The Analysis – Amazing Grace The poetry â€Å"Amazing Grace† by John Newton is one of the most famous poems ever written and composed. â€Å"Amazing Grace† has been particularly influential and has affected lives since it was written. 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Such is the problem in New York City today and in Mott Haven in Jonathan Kozols Amazing Grace. I have lived in New York City all my life and I had no idea that these problems were going on so close to home. If I live about three miles away from Mott Haven and I am not aware of the situation there, then who is? Chapter 1 of Amazing Grace opens with a startling fact. It tells the reader that when one boards the Number 6 train from Manhattan to the South BronxRead MoreView Of Justice Reflected By Amazing Grace Essay1998 Words   |  8 PagesJustice Reflected in Amazing Grace In the Republic, Socrates starts the discussion with the definition of justice. When Thrasymachus angrily interrupts and gives his own definition, he in fact takes an opposite view on justice and argues that injustice is more advantageous and profitable. Glaucon and Adiemantus further develop Thrasymachus’ view with a theory of the nature and the origins of justice and claim that justice is desired only for the sake of rewards. In Amazing Grace, injustice happensRead MoreEssay about Jonathan Kozols Amazing Grace 1553 Words   |  7 PagesJonathan Kozols Amazing Grace  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      While reading Amazing Grace, one is unable to escape the seemingly endless tales of hardship and pain. The setting behind this gripping story is the South Bronx of New York City, with the main focus on the Mott Haven housing project and its surrounding neighborhood. Here black and Hispanic families try to cope with the disparity that surrounds them. Mott Haven is a place where children must place in the hallways of the building, because playing outsideRead MoreWhats so Amazing About Grace Book Report Essay741 Words   |  3 PagesCameron Peterson Mr. Oswald Romans Period 4 11 January 2012 What’s So Amazing about Grace? Book Report What’s So Amazing about Grace? is a book written by Philip Yancey. It begins with a twisted story of a prostitute living on the streets. She is unable to feed her two-year old child and has to find another way to earn money. She could not think of any other alternatives and began selling her child out for prostitution. She could make much more money this way than she could in one night. The