T.A.N.C.H. (Blog #1): Historical Moment
Any study of the history of events and ideas surrounding the text constitutes historical criticism. How does the historical moment in which the work was written affect the work's content?
(Due: Thursday, April 16th @ midnight)
(Due: Thursday, April 16th @ midnight)
The novel, “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz takes place mainly in the projects of Chicago. In that place gangs run wild and free, everything is old and filthy, and children have seen more death and violence than many adults have in their entire life. The life of the two boys in the novel, Lafeyette and Pharaoh are described by what the author hears and sees because he was there with the children. If Kotlowitz had written the novel years later the novel would have taken on an entirely different theme.
ReplyDeleteThe novel takes place in the 1980’s. During this time many people lived in public housing. These places were ran by gangs and it was overall a very poor area. In the novel it is clear to see that wealthy people don’t live there by the way Kotlowitz describes the area. The book would have been completely different if it was written years later than it was. Because the novel follows two boys and their lives it makes the story more real. What happens in the book has actually happened. It was a real event someone witnessed and talked about. What things looked like and how people acted is what the author witnessed himself and what he described it as. Everything was seen first hand so it automatically becomes more real.
If the novel had been written years after Lafeyette and Pharaoh grew up it would become more of a fiction novel. The author would have had to think of what the characters would have felt, and basically become the character. He would have had to imagine the scenes they saw and the area the boys grew up in. He would have had to create the dialogue and the personalities of all the people in the novel. It wouldn’t be as real and believable if it was written in a different historical moment. The things that happened in the book wouldn’t hit as hard like reading these boys and other children see people get shot, hurt, and even killed every day. Because of the time “There Are No Children Here” was written it the whole story becomes something real to the readers that has actually happened and has been witnessed by the author.
I agree that the novel would've been different had it been about Pharoah's and Lafayette's future. It wouldn't have "hit home" as hard with the reader. However, I believe it was wise of Kotlowitz to release it when he did because it brought more awarenes of the projects themselves. Many families probably believed this kind of racism was fading away, when in reality it was not.
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ReplyDeleteThe novel “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz is set in the late 1980’s in outskirts of Chicago, Illinois. The time period in which this book was published informed the reader the kinds of horrible events that take place in housing projects across the country that were still going on at the time of publication. The saddening fact that this novel is a piece of non-fiction also put the reality of the housing projects into perspective. This was the overlying theme of the book.
ReplyDeleteLafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, the main children in “There Are No Children Here”, are representations of life in the housing projects of Chicago, specifically Henry Horner Homes. While many middle class American families across the country during the 1990’s were living the American dream, the residents of the housing projects suffer daily and don’t know whether they will live to see the next day. Gangs ruled the area, traumatizing children and their families. Kotlowitz didn’t attempt to sugarcoat Lafeyette’s and Pharoah’s lives. Many people most likely had no idea this kind of family treatment still existed in modern America. This novel brought to light these issues using the softness of Pharoah and the transformation of Lafeyette.
“There Are No Children Here” brought to light the terror of living in the housing projects of Chicago. Ten years after the book was published in 1991, the demolition of Henry Horner Homes began. There is reason to believe this book was a factor in determining the demolition. The evidence of public realization of the housing projects started coming to light toward the end of the book when the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) started performing investigations on the property. They discovered the gangs had “taken over” different high rises in Henry Horner and realized the danger these families were in. Efforts were made to improve the situation.
This book may have also inspired families to donate old furniture and clothing to organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army. LaJoe frequently purchased clothes and different items for her children from these organizations. “There Are No Children Here” is a good representation of how these donations are used and distributed.
Even though “There Are No Children Here” was published in 1991, it is a great example of how racial violence still exists. Children very similar to Pharoah and Lafeyette were, and are still going through like problems similar to what was happening at Henry Horner. Gangs are still a very active throughout major cities across the country. Slums still exist, and minority groups are still some of these places top residents (Henry Horner mostly consisted of black people).
although this book had a major impact on the decision of destroying the Henry Horner homes, the violence still exist. Even with this building removed there is still major crimes and gang activity in the area. No one action can fix the problems in cook county but this writing inspired a start and spot lighted the issues people face in the projects that several were unaware of.
DeleteThe book There are no children here is set in the 1980s, documenting the lives of two boys, Lafayette and Pharaoh, that live in the projects of Chicago. During this time, crime was ramped in the streets where these boys grew up, often times children would witness crimes and murders of loved one on a daily basis. Living in the Henry Horner Homes was truly terrifying. (There are no children here, chapter 14, page 131)” The 1988 inventory for the cook county criminal courts include 3647 aggravated and heinous batteries, 380 home invasions, 1312 charges for unlawful restraint, 8419 rapes, 1584 armed robberies, 1351 accused of unlawful use of a weapon...”With these crimes just being the ones reported, this community was enveloped in violence and fear. Merciless gang shoot outs often arose in mid day and innocent witnesses would be in immediate danger for their life. Due to their frequency, cops often fail to report all crimes appearing in the Chicago projects. These boys grew up about 20 year after the civil rights movement in this environment and feel as if their freedom to live anywhere is restricted. Its nearly impossible to escape the ghetto due to the incredible lack of education, finances and hope. La Joe yearns to leave the projects with her family yet, her attempts fail. She is unable to obtain employment and can barely make the reduced rent price of Henry Horner Homes on her financial aid. Although no one desires to live in this horrendous environment, breaking the cycle as a impoverished african american seemed hopeless. Although equal rights allowed african americans to reside in the same housing as whites and obtain equal education, does not mean it was immediately available for them. The timing in which this book was written greatly affected the text because equal opportunities were simply unavailable, no matter how hard La Joe attempted to live a better life, the odds remained against her. Even Pharaoh shares his mother's desire, he strives in his education seeking more than what the projects have to offer. The readers of There are no children here saw potential in pharaoh's dreams of becoming more yet, even he eventually fell in the pattern of the ghetto. It was simply too cumbersome of a task to escape the projects during a time that did not share equal opportunity with African Americans, even though it was long after the civil rights movement.
ReplyDeleteThe ghettos of this time were truly merciless and spanned huge amounts of space in the inner cities during this time. It's very sad to see how Lafayette and especially Pharoah turned out after seeing how they wanted to get out of the projects so badly. I like how you bring so much explanation to the ghetto of their home, and I think it brings contrast to today's societies.
DeleteThe time in which ¨There Are No Children Here” was published, is possibly the largest influence the book has. The research and interviews that came together in making this book occurred in the 1980’s, a time in America where there was a great deal of racism still around, and when Martin Luther King Jr. had made his stand in history for the African Americans around the country. The author used these historical events to give us a better idea of the timing, and how recent this is. This being said, it was also a time where streets were watched by gangs, and innocent people died often from gang fights and stray bullets. This book itself is mostly aimed at documenting the struggle of living in a forgotten part of the city during these times in history. Guns, drugs, and prostitution were rampant in the parts of town where the children and families lived. Children died often, or became involved in the gangs at a young age. Having the opportunity to record this information so accurately was largely because of the author’s ability to get the information very recently or as the events occurred. These terrible years of poverty for these children were no doubt scarring to them on their deepest mental levels, and the author shows this clearly throughout the story. First, when Lafayette began to accept death and no longer hid when a gunfight began, but instead just stayed on the couch. Then also when Terence committed a crime for no other reason than the fact that he felt he would go to jail for something he didn’t do, so why not actually commit a crime? And finally when Pharoah and Rickey, two teenage boys at the time, chased the end of the first rainbow they had ever seen. This is truly moving and saddening, because first of all; they had never seen a rainbow before, and still believed there may be some gold or treasure at the end of it. Also, while the two boys ran to investigate the rainbow, Lafayette stayed and teased them for being childish. This is downright eye opening, because it shows how little Lafayette cared about having fun, exploring, and being a child, which he still was, at the age of only 15. It’s the perfect example of how fast the children of those times grew up and how they had to be to survive. The book being written in this time exposes deeper depth into the stunning differences between then and now. Because the book was written while all those things were happening to the children, the author could use much more detail and it was a much more clear picture to the reader. Also, the story was influenced by the interviews that the author did with Lajoe’s family, such as how it brought much more attention to the poverty, and gang violence in the inner cities around the country, especially in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts of how the time in which the book was written affects contrast between what was then and what was now. You are able to see the difference clearly between each time. It makes the book seem more real and convincing and thought provoking.
DeleteThe effect of the book “There Are No Children Here” has been especially apparent by the destruction of the Henry Horner Homes. Obviously this book has had an effect because they demolished an entire building seemingly to cover up the less than mediocre conditions that these people had to live in. The book was published a little less than two years after the final chapter was written. This is incredibly quick considering all the work that goes into making sure a book is ready to be put out on the market. The pace in which this book was published made the effect of it even larger.
ReplyDeleteAlso this book was written in somewhat current times, the conditions haven’t changed all that much. Everything in this book could happen today, it probably is happening today. This book was only written twenty years not that long ago especially considering that the area this was written in doesn’t “upgrade” all that often. The effect that the fact that this book was written somewhat recent makes this book really impactful on one’s emotions. This is what people are suffering through today, right here in America.
Do you think they demolished Henry Horner Homes just to cover everything up? Don't you think that maybe they did it solely because conditions were bad and they needed to make room to improve said conditions?
DeleteDo you think they demolished Henry Horner Homes just to cover everything up? Don't you think that maybe they did it solely because conditions were bad and they needed to make room to improve said conditions?
DeleteI agree with you that how recent the book was published really hits home. The living conditions in the current public housing one can assume has not changed an awful lot, although crime rates have decreased since then. There is still bad people out there, that can't get out of the cycle of gang violence in Chicago today.
DeleteThe novel “There Are No Children Here” was published in the year 1991. This Biography describes the experiences of two boys, Lafeyette and Pharoah, who live in the inner city of Chicago or the Other America. A vast majority of the boy’s horrible experiences took place in the 80’s. The author, Alex Kotlowitz, took it upon himself to go to Henry Horner Homes and interview these boys, among others, to get the true story about “the Other America”. In interviewing these people Kotlowitz discovered that the projects in the inner city of Chicago were impoverished, teaming with gangs and drug dealers, and not single day went by without some kind of gang battle or turf war happening. With all these things happening in the 80’s and the book being published in 1991 the events were still fresh in everybody’s minds and memories. With everything having happened so recently the works content was affected greatly because the wording, the stories were taken straight from the horse’s mouth so there was no room for misunderstanding. All and all the moment in which the work was written greatly affected the work’s content.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post very much and it gave helpful insight to the topic. I also like the term "taken straight from the horse’s mouth" its interesting.
DeleteDo you think the author's connection to some of the people he knew made it easier or harder to tell it like it happened? Kotlowitz knew LaJoe and made her seem to be more of a saint than anything unless she went out to play cards and that was probably a little uncomfortable to write since that's almost like admitting she had a possible gambling problem.
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ReplyDeleteThe novel “There Are No Children Here” was written in a ruthless era, in the unforgiving projects of Chicago, Illinois. The environment in which the lower income families lived in, was overran by heinous crimes, in which cultivated an unforgiving lifestyle for these families. This book documents the lives of the two children Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, and their mother LaJoe. Regarding the time era in which the book was written, crime rates were at an all time peak. Referring to the book, on pages 131 and 132, it lists the criminal records that the Cook County Criminal Courts took inventory on. It lists an outstanding 56,204 total charges. That averages around 154 criminal acts everyday, for an entire year. These include horrendous crimes such as murder, rape and numerous drug charges. According to the Chicago Police Department records, there was a total of 12,500 recorded criminal acts in 2014 “The Rise of the Chicago Police Department: Class and Conflict”. Nearly 25 percent of what they were when the book was published. Although the living conditions in the public housing of chicago in current day is far from different than it was in 1991, the crime rate has dropped tremendously. This is a major factor in which would have altered the books content. When the book was originally written, it was a much more harsh living environment, and really opened the eyes of the general public on the negligence of the living environment at the time. The era in which this book was written, was at an uncontrollable level, and the publication of this book was one of the most impactful matters that brought attention to the crude conditions of the Horner Home living situations.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Adler, J. S. "The Rise of the Chicago Police Department: Class and Conflict, 1850-1894." Journal of American History 101.3 (2014): 930-31.Https://portal.chicagopolice.org. Chicago Police Department, 5 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
During the time period of the 90’s, when Alex Kotlowitz wrote “There Are No Children Here” many things impacted the books content. Throughout this time period, the Rodney King Verdict and the L.A. Riots started to appear. Both of these events revolved around racism which is present in the book. The author had to be careful in what was included within the book when it came to the idea of the brutal beatings and shootings because of his fear of being brutally attacked. In this case, I feel like he was probably less descriptive with some of the situations that took place and vaguely described them. The OJ Simpson trial was also huge news during the 90’s, also representing the idea of racism. This trial gave the white people even more reason to not trust black people, because of his conviction of murder against his wife. The gang activity was also at an alltime high during this time period. Kotlowitz had to change names and some of the activity that took place within these gangs in order to protect some of the identities. Considering Henry Horner Homes were demolished, the book made a huge impact on the society even without some of the details.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how you said Kotlowitz had to leave details out because he was scared he would be attacked. I thought the book was brutal enough, but to think that there were some details left out is hard to think about.
DeleteIt's strange to think that a single novel could cause the demolition of a set of high rises and homes, but I guess that's what happens when the world is suddenly drawn to a once unknown area.
DeleteThe book “There are no children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz talks mainly about two boys growing up in the projects in Chicago. They have other family members but the writer focused mainly on the two boys. It shows what life was like back then, during the 80’s, in the projects. Most people were not aware of how bad the situation really was. The writer followed the two boys and wrote it in real time. If he had not done that, things may have been different. The account of what life was like may not have been as accurate, it may have been ‘hear say’. By writing in the current time, gives each person a better understanding of what life was like for these two boys and what it may have been like for the rest of the children and families living there. People need to be aware of life in the projects and learn to appreciate what they do have now.
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason that Kotlowitz decided to focus on Lafeyette and Pharoah was because they were the only members of the family that had hope of a better life. They were the only ones who didn't have a family of their own or a criminal record and it seemed as if they were determined to keep it that way.
DeleteHe might have picked children as his lens for the book because they're the most innocent and kids usually tell it how they see it where adults will try to sugar coat it.
DeleteIt is always interesting to read a book that is set in a different era, particularly ones that can relate to the present times. Being a historical biography, the information and general aura of the time, we can assume, is extremely accurate. The book “There are No Children Here” offers an interesting perspective on the relationship between the general public and law enforcement as a whole. This in my opinion is the most interesting historical comparison to today, mostly because there is so much criticism surrounding police at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe story and time in which it was written truly shows how far we’ve come in the distrust of law enforcement. Pharaoh and lafayette's generation was one of the first to experience any kind of deception or unlawful behavior coming from a police officer. Though Police brutality did exist in later times, it did not reach nearly as much of a climax as it did so in the 80’s with the rise of gang violence. The encounters we read about between the boys and police reveal how the mistrust of police and cycle of killing in the ghetto has progressed to today. The first time we see an example of this is when Lafayette is beaten by an officer at the stadium. This encounter shocked lafayette and sent him spiraling into a cycle of mistrust. Several other events such as the murder of Craig Davis, the false conviction of himself, and the false conviction of his brother served to further sever the ties of trust between Lafayette and the Police. So what made the police what they are today? Why is there so much scrutiny surrounding them?
The answer is simple; gang violence. It is the cycle of violence and stereotypes that has, over time, made officers so jaded and quick to assume. The constant threat of danger in places like the ghettos of chicago cause Police to jump to conclusions and often times, classify not just gang members as threats, but everyone living there; even the ones like Pharaoh, who want nothing more than to get out of the vicious cycle. Many innocent people have become the victims of police prejudice. In recent years however, the light has been shone on the situation. Reading the book “There Are No Children Here” one is able to look into the past and witness the beginning of a vicious cycle between law enforcement and african americans that is coming to somewhat of a climax in the present time.
The book “There Are No Children Here” was written in the 1980’s. This was a time when Civil Rights were still a huge issue. Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1981. He cut funding for Civil Rights organizations, meaning minority groups were left to fight for themselves. By doing this it set back the progress of the Civil Rights movement significantly. In the book, all of these people living in the projects of Chicago are African American. Even though there wasn’t necessarily segregation, there was a huge group of people living in poverty right in the middle of the United States, and nothing was being done to help them get out of it.
ReplyDeleteReagan also appointed conservative judges to many federal courts; these judges often put a stop to programs that were designed to make amends for past discrimination. By doing this the number of racial crimes rose. Even though this wasn’t a neighborhood of white supremacy conflict, the crime in the Henry Horner area was still very high. The justice system in this area was being overworked; judges were hearing 10’s of cases a day. Two great examples of this are Laffeyette and Terence. They were both convicted of crimes they didn’t commit, and that just goes to show how the justice system was being run at this time, they were poor African American teenagers so they must be guilty, right?
Also the conditions of the building at the time Pharoah and Laffeyette were growing up and when this book was being written were absolutely horrible. Alex Kotlowitz wrote this book for a reason, to bring awareness to Henry Horner Homes and what circumstances people were living in. The lack of funding for these buildings caused the CHA to just turn their heads to the problems and maintenance of the building. The Rivers’ apartment had horrible smell and sewage coming up the kitchen sink drain, but nothing was done about this because of the simple fact that there was no money to do anything with. The contents of the book had a purpose to it, it showed how horrific a life was in the projects of Chicago. So horrific that a person reading this book living in Colorado can’t even imagine what these people are going through.
The novel, “There Are No Children Here” was written the late 80’s, a time period when gangs and drugs had major influence in the communities of housing projects. In the novel, the author describes the lives of two young boys, Pharoah and Lafeyette Rivers; in a span of two years you see the horrible events these boys go through on a day to day basis. As young boys they were at high risk for being targeted for gangs. The gangs would often use younger kids to deal drugs, pimp women, and to do the gang’s dirty work such as shootings and smuggling drugs. The gangs used these methods because children can’t go to jail and can’t be convicted as strictly as adults. The boys also saw many of their friends die throughout the novel. Early in the story we see how a boy, by the name of “Bird Leg”, goes from being innocent to turning into a gang member in a matter of months. He then loses his life due to the gangs. In the novel, the boys’ mother, Lajoe, mentions how the boys have gone to more funerals than weddings in their short lifetimes. All these tragic events that affected the novel would not have even occurred if the novel wasn’t set in this certain time period.
ReplyDeleteYou said that these tragic events would not have occurred if it weren't written when it was. Do you think that none of this violence exists in the world today? Do you believe that there are children like Lafayette and Pharoah in America today?
DeleteI like what you are saying about what happen in the book. But what did they do to prevent some of the things that were happening? I really agree and like the way you told the story about how the book came about.
DeleteThe book “There are no children here,” is a true story following two young boys living in the projects of Chicago in the late 1980’s. These two courageous boys suffer through loss of family and friends, experienced gang violence, and did their best to stay away from the gangs. With the book written at the time the events happened, the book was written as it happened, and created a more realistic experience for those who read it.
ReplyDeleteThe book is mainly set in the Henry Horner projects. It is a series of high rise apartment buildings built for those who can’t afford much else. Since the book was written in the time the buildings were still standing, the author, Alex Kotlowitz, was able to experience the life at the projects first hand. He was able to display to the reader what it was actually like to live in the projects. Whereas, if he had written it ten years later, he wouldn’t have been able to write what it was actually like at Horner Homes because by then, they would’ve torn the projects down. Without the real experience, and the real characters, the book would’ve been written in a more fictional way. The author would've had to create the events and characters in the book making the impact of the book on society not as significant as it was when it was written about real events witnessed by the author himself. Ultimately, since the book was written on facts and real events, the book was breathtaking.
ReplyDelete“Since the mid-1960s, the nature of race riots in Chicago… has significantly shifted. Although violent black/white clashes continued into the mid-1970s, the term's use shifted during the 1960s to refer to the uprisings of poorer blacks (or Latinos) protesting ghetto conditions, especially police brutality. Chicago has experienced several noteworthy outbreaks of this type, …but most notably the…1968 West Side riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King. No clashes of this magnitude have occurred since…, but the continued salience of many of the protesters' expressed grievances—inferior housing, lack of meaningful employment, and inequitable law enforcement—suggests that the issues surrounding racial violence are by no means a finished chapter in Chicago history.” (Essig)
Tension between the black and white populations in Chicago has lasted a very long time. In “There Are No Children Here,” set in the 1980’s, we still witness these racial clashes. Innocent people are taken down by the police, a prime example is with the death of Craig Davis from the novel. He had allegedly stolen stereo equipment, and when faced with the police, he ran. The police then shot at him, and he died under the usurp that he was part of a gang, which he was very determined not to be. This misstep taken by that police officer is an example of how bad the tension still was in the slums of Chicago. In an earlier part of the novel, the reader hears of how Chicago reacted to Martin Luthor King, Jr. being assassinated. “The riots following the death of Martin Luthor King, Jr., in 1968 turned to rubble the… two-mile commercial strip…Fires set by the rioters destroyed…$10 million worth of property;…Mayor Richard J.Daley…ordered the police to shoot to kill.” (pgs. 157-158) This, along with the opening, is further evidence of the racial tension formed between the police and the black community within Chicago.
Essig, Steven. "Race Riots." Race Riots. Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2004. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
“There Are No Children Here” has a very accurate representation of what happened in the time because Kotlowitz wrote it while he was experiencing it. In the case of “The Help”, Stockett wrote the novel many decades after the time that the setting took place in, so she could only base facts on recorded history. That is the difference between the two, personal experienced history, like in the case of Kotlowitz, and recorded history, like in the case of Stockett.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that affects the work’s content is that, as opposed to “The Help”, the author has personal experiences with the events in the novel, so there is very little historical error with the events that took place.
Kotlowitz basically lived with LaJoe, Pharoah, and Lafeyette, for the whole time he was in the projects getting info for his novel. This means that he fully experienced their everyday lives just as they did.
“There Are No Children Here” being written in 1991 could not have been a better time to write this story. The 80’s, when Kotlowitz was living with this family, was pure, dangerous gang activity. It was a time when it was more than normal for children to join a gang, as well as sell drugs, at the young age of fourteen. It was known to you that you might not live to even be 18 from the day you were born. In the projects, crimes were constantly happening; not only because of the gang violence, but because prison was a nicer place to be than where these kids were living.
ReplyDeleteThis novel perfectly highlights what the other America was like and how much of a struggle it was to survive. The author staying with them played a huge part of just how accurate this book is. He explained events how they were, no matter how many drugs or shootings were involved. Although gruesome, this non-fiction story is the first one to really show just how much work it would take to be alive another day. I do believe that the book was written in the perfect year. Had it been written in the past ten years or later, the Henry Horner homes would have been torn down. I believe it would have taken away from the reality of Kotlowitz’s writing. He wrote this novel at a time when mostly African American communities struggled with poverty, and gang violence was still present in these areas.
I like the research you put into your blog to highlight the specific time period in which the book was written. You could have definitely added a little bit more about why you thought the book was written in "the perfect year," however. Doing so would back up your argument even more.
DeleteThe novel “There are no Children Here” was written in the 1980’s and describes a variety of events that occurred in public housing in detail. Through reading the book we see the corruption of not only the housing development in which they live, but the government as well.
ReplyDeleteThe author went into great detail regarding the lack of funds that the state of Chicago possessed to make cosmetic and internal repairs to Henry Horner at the time. The reader then sees why that is such a major issue for the families that live there. The revolting and unsafe living conditions of the homes that the author describes are a reminder that the government isn’t doing their job in this specific case.
While reading this novel, the reader becomes extremely surprised by the harsh conditions that so many people endured and we also realize that it wasn’t that long ago either. Outside knowledge tells us that Henry Horner in specific were demolished in 2008. We can assume that one of the reasons for this was because of the increase in publicity that the novel produced through publishing. The time in which this novel was written affected the outcome in this real life establishment. The production of this book turned many heads and helped the reader to realize the things that are happening in our country, in our city and in public housing everyday.
If anything, the moment in which this book was written affects the content in a positive way because of the positive outcome it created. We know the after effects of this novel and we can assume, once again, that the tearing down of Henry Horner later on produced positivity within the neighborhood and the lives of those that lived there.
“There Are No Children Here” was written by Alex Kotlowitz and published the year of 1991. It follows the story of two boys living in the projects of Chicago from 1987 to 1989. Since the book was released about two years after the actual events took place it served as a very informative tool about gang violence in the projects of Chicago. It also shows exactly how bad the living arrangements, education, and just how the plain way of life is in the projects. Be it just backed up pipes in the apartment complex of the Horner Homes, or be it the constant gang violence that takes place outside as well as inside the Henry Horner Homes. And when I say inside I mean inside of Pharaoh and Lafayette's apartment. Some guy came into their apartment looking for a tire to his “skillet” and ended up shooting up the place when he didn’t believe they were telling the truth. There was never a day that Pharaoh and Lafayette were safe. The book shows you how the feud between the vice lords and the gangster disciples didn’t just affect people in the gang, but how it also affected the people who lived around the violence. It showed how their lives were consumed by the fight after fight for gang territory. The one thing that bugs me the most wasn’t the gang violence but the affect the gang violence had on the psyches of young Pharaoh and Lafayette. When asked what they wanted to do for a living one of them said they wanted to be a bus driver at the age of 16 because they didn’t know if they were going to make it that far in life. That is a hell of a weight to carry on your shoulders at that young of an age.
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DeleteI liked how you said it was an informative tool for gang violence. Along with everything else that the housing, education, and life in the projects is true. Also how you put that no one was ever safe in their homes. That's scary though to most people not even being safe in your own home.
ReplyDeleteTrying to grow up in the projects during the late 80’s was a life in the fast lane, and yes I said “trying” to grow up. Not everyone grows up, Lafayette seemed to be too small minded to, as Tunik would say, get his poop in a group. Being that the book was published briefly after the events in the last chapter we can infer that the information in the book is raw, unedited and as real as it gets. If there was no indication throughout the book as to when the events took place would have been convinced these two kids grew up in modern day society. This is because
the projects are the projects, not a lot has changed and will ever change if you are unfortunate enough to be born into this vicious cycle. The author did a spectacular job of getting the reader attached emotionally to the kids, but not so spectacular at bringing the reader back to the 80’s. This is a product of the time in which it was written, since it was written so quickly the author wasn't considering how the book would read in the future. I would have liked to see some differences and similarities between the area and time in which the kids grew up in, compared to modern day Chicago. Sadly, it was written way back when, so for that you must do your own research which is no fun.
ReplyDeleteThe novel “There are no children here” by Alex Kotlowitz is written about the projects of Chicago in the 1980's. Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers are the main two characters in the novel. The low income housing they are living in is called Henry Horner Homes. At Horner there two different gangs that control the area the Vice Lords and the Disciples. As the novel progressed the ganges started influencing kids to join to do their dirty work. Durning “There are no children here” the readers have witness many fall into the gangs. The gangs have a huge influence on the kids because they show how they were brought up and how they fell victim to it. Over the course of the book we have heard about people being killed, shot at, and selling drugs. The gangs are part of everyday life there was not one day where anyone at Honer was safe.
The living environment at Horner was unsatisfactory. The basement has dead animals, rotten appliances, backed up pipes coming into peoples homes. Also with the gangs fighting for more land right outside their building. Honer was no fairy tale, it was where people had to go when they ran out of places to live. No one said anything because they wanted to save their jobs in order survive. That says a lot about this book people just want to save themselves and not think about the good of others.
I agree with you in the this book we don't see a lot of people trying to help other people. But I think it would be really hard to help some one if you can't really help yourself and you family. And also it hard to know like if your giving money who gonna buy drug and make the problem my worse it's hard to tell.
Delete“There Are No Children Here” was written in the late 80’s to early 90’s by Alex Kotlowitz to tell a story of two brothers growing up in the projects surrounded by gangs, violence, and drugs. Even though it was published awhile ago it brought a ton of attention to the area. Henry Horner Homes was torn down and the book helped with making that a reality by shedding light on some intense things that happened in the area like murders and gang related activities. Even though there weren’t too many political influences some still made headway in making the projects a better place. Even if it was just replacing doors and adding heating coils it made it a more bearable place to live.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough the problems were being overlooked or hidden in order for people to keep their jobs so they wouldn’t be in the same position like the River’s. Unfortunately the main problems were distrust with everyone like cops and people in the projects or gangs and feelings of racism still lingering in society. Segregation didn’t really exist anymore but black people still seemed to be confined into bad areas with no hope of ever leaving. It also has to deal with a number un unknown facts like what type of job the person has and how many other people they needed to provide for. In LaJoe’s case she and her very large family lived off of very little but tried to make the best of a terrible situation. Since this book was written awhile ago it’s hard to understand what all was happening and if there was anything more that could be done to help or even fix the multitude of problems the people living in the projects of Chicago had to face.
The book “There Are No Children Here” was written in 1991. But unlike the book “The Help” the author of this book was actually there during the time the book was written about. So every thing in this book was written from first hand experiences that Alex Kotlowitz had. This book in particular would have been extremely different if it were written years later from second hand experiences. It would be so different because the things that happened to these boys is unreal and sometimes hard to believe. For that reason I think you have to see it yourself you and have to live it yourself. Alex Kotlowitz needed to see the fear on Pharroh and Lafeyette’s face. He needed to see where they lived and smell what it smelled like, hear what it sounded like and how the two boys felt about it in order to write the book at the caliber that it's was writen. Where as in the book " The Help" there is so much historical resorces that the author can research. He doesn't have to be there first hand. So I think the time this book was written if Alex Kotlowitz hadn't been me there to expirence it would have made this book way different. In a much less powerful way.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree if you like you would've had to live their life with them in order to truly understand what happened to the matters that the book talks about these events like they were fictional but they were real they were 100% real and that's something that a lot of people won't understand or get because they didn't live in the projects of Chicago. to truly see the fear in their eyes in order see what their life was like. Talking about the gangs that was real, the gunshots that they dodged were real. it's not like they were made up for fictional it actually happened.
DeleteThe novel “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowits being a novel written in the early 1990's. Shows a very unique understanding and point of view of how bad gang violence in the 1980s actually were. Specifically for those who lived in the projects of Chicago during that time. The sad part about how critical the time in which this book was published. Is that it continued throughout the 90's and even into the early 2000's. You would tend to think that a book like this would get recognized and blown up in media at the time by someone REALLY important, like Oprah. But, does the book give a real social impact? Sadly, no. Even though it's a book talking about the really messed up lives of kids who don't even consider themselves kids anymore. Nobody seems to be really impacted enough in society to take action besides covering up the fact that the Horner homes actually excited.
ReplyDeleteThe books timing in publication was absolutely flawless. Early enough in the early 90's that people could try and prevent all the gang violence that would be to come. But to late to make an impact on the kids who were actually in the book. If a book like this had been published and talked about in the media a lot in the late 70's there could have been more of a movement against the "Horner Horrors". A movement that could have prevented a lot of violence and crime. But, it happened and it was published in a time where we as a nation could have turned things around. What do I know though? I wasn't even born yet when the book was published.
The projects were designed to prevent poverty and gang violence. Back then The Projects was a location for people that weren't making a lot of money and didn't do much with their lives. There were a over population of people to live there. The government built big apartments for people that had no where to sleep at night. These building were not very expensive. They were made very cheaply. The location of the buildings were in the west side of Chicago. Gangs and violence was already at an all time high. When the people from that area started to move into the new apartments, it was still overrun with gangs and the violence that came with them. The brand new apartments then started to turn into trash and look like it too. Almost all the buildings had the first few floors boarded up with boof instead of glass. They were no longer maintained because the price of all the constant repairs was more than the value of the building themselves.
ReplyDeleteThere was so many shootings and robberies that the police weren’t able to keep up with all of it. Craig for example, was arrested for stealing cookies. The police didn’t know what to expect so their first reaction was to shoot and ask questions later. In the book “There Are No Children Here” there was a few shootings that happen from the police, Craig Davis was killed by a police officer because he was scared to go back to jail. I can tell from reading this book that it would be super hard to actually put a stop to everything that was happening in The Projects. It almost seems like it is impossible.
The projects weren't designed to prevent anything. Gang violence and poverty is exactly what it bred. These people became shackled to these homes that hardly even met the term. They didn't choose these lives, they couldn't get out, even though they ever so desperately wanted to. Our findings of Pharaoh currently being in jail just further solidifies that fact.
DeleteThe projects weren't designed to prevent anything. Gang violence and poverty is exactly what it bred. These people became shackled to these homes that hardly even met the term. They didn't choose these lives, they couldn't get out, even though they ever so desperately wanted to. Our findings of Pharaoh currently being in jail just further solidifies that fact.
Deletealso they didn't choose to live in these home it was the only housing that these people could afford at the time.
DeleteStudying the series of events that surround the book “There are no Children Here”, one specific event stands out to me. The book was written in the late 80s and early 90s, when the newly reformed Chicago Housing Association was beginning to actually make a difference. The writer, Alex Kotlowitz, couldn’t have picked a better time to write this book. It was a big turning point for the community. The complex of Henry Horner was very much still full of gang activity, crimes, and poverty. However, larger efforts were beginning to take place to improve the housing situation. Looking through all the articles that the Chicago Tribune has collected over the many years Henry Horner has been in the spotlight, there is much change, but very gradual. According to the Chicago Tribune, even Oprah Winfrey donated $6 million to the CHA.
ReplyDeleteIt’s really nice to see that the new Chicago Housing Association really came through on it’s promises. According to Austin Weekly News, the community has responded well to the changes, which was predicted in the book. The overall crime rates haven’t changed much, but again, the population is more mixed and generally better off overall.
Cunningham, Talbot R. "Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?"Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes? N.p., 12 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
Nixon, Malcolm. "Henry Horner Homes." Articles about. N.p., 25 May 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
“There are no children here” is a biography of two boys, Lafayette and Pharoah rivers, who grew up in public housing, infested with violence during the 1980’s. Around this particular time period the Henry Horner homes consisted of daily intrusions, rapes, murders, and armed robberies... This was not a place for children to grow up. It was impossible for the children to get out of the ghettos. Lajoe tried hard to get them to be high school grads but in this time it was nearly impossible for the good kids to make it out. There happened to be the gangs who wanted them and offered loads of cash to these kids who weren’t even the age of 16 just so they could get them to do their dirty work. Lafayette in the end was found guilty for hanging with a crowd. Which proves that the harsh conditions at the time reflected on every single child and grownup their. Craig Davis was shot and reported to be an armed gang leader. Nobody wants to hire a kid from the projects, the all were quick to assume the worst from these kids. Craigs death headliner was nothing but a lie. There was no known affiliation od Davis and gang-related activities. Lafayette found this to be extremely saddening, there was example of someone morally good, who had goals, who would’ve made it out of the Horner homes.
ReplyDeleteNobody seemed to care for the kids at Horner. The basements went unreported and was found to be in a tremendous state beyond repair. So much went unnoted there. The Henry Horner Homes was a failed organization that later on went to be teared down. Many of what is in the book is still relevant today. There is a tremendous amount of racism and gang violence still known today but the Projects was one of the worsts places. We are so lucky to live in a town like Castle Rock where we have counselors, teachers and parents who plan on having us going to college. Pharoah and Lafayette never got the support we did there was so little help for them there. To this day in a place like Henry Horner they would never receive the support we have access to on a daily basis. Its saddening that some of us refuse to go to school while others like Pharoah can only dream that they can become a bus driver if they grow up.
Bringing light to a problem that is hiding in the shadows. The problems in the projects were growing rapidly, and were just being maintained by the most minimal standards. The housing (housing is the last term that should be used) these people lived in were worn down, deteriorating further, diseased, and overcrowded. “There Are No Children Here,” the title itself isn’t only a fantastic one, but was said by the mother of the two main characters. There are, in fact, no children here. The grounds in which these human beings grow and develop breeds a society that those of us in Castle Rock haven’t, and most likely, ever encounter. The book brought light to this disgusting known problem to people who could and wanted to make a change. That is one of the greatest examples of impact a piece of writing could have. Though what was done with these people once the problem was being… worked on… is a different story. Progress was and is being made, and that is what matters.
ReplyDeleteBringing light to a problem that is hiding in the shadows. The problems in the projects were growing rapidly, and were just being maintained by the most minimal standards. The housing (housing is the last term that should be used) these people lived in were worn down, deteriorating further, diseased, and overcrowded. “There Are No Children Here,” the title itself isn’t only a fantastic one, but was said by the mother of the two main characters. There are, in fact, no children here. The grounds in which these human beings grow and develop breeds a society that those of us in Castle Rock haven’t, and most likely, ever encounter. The book brought light to this disgusting known problem to people who could and wanted to make a change. That is one of the greatest examples of impact a piece of writing could have. Though what was done with these people once the problem was being… worked on… is a different story. Progress was and is being made, and that is what matters.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with pretty much everything you said. "There Are No Children Here" was very captivating and appropriate title. The youth here were never able to enjoy a childhood due to the violent and desperate circumstances that they were forced to deal with. The housing like you said was minimal and barely livable. I also enjoyed how you described that people who never would have thought about this, are now exposed to this immense issue.
DeleteThe novel, “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz, was written in the late 1980’s and published in the early 90’s. This book mainly focused on the lives of two young boys Pharaoh and Lafayette and their struggles of trying to survive in the violent streets of Chicago they called home. During this time period, gangs ruled the area and violence was everywhere. These two boys experienced and witnessed enough crime and violence to last them more than a lifetime. Kotlowitz went into great detail about not only the boys lives but the living conditions that everyone experienced living in the Henry Horner homes. This novel was published exactly when it should have been, if Kotlowitz decided to write and publish it 10 or 15 years later it wouldn’t have had as strong as an effect as it did at the time it was published. The Henry Horner homes no longer exist and this book most likely played a large role in the demolition, because it brought so much attention and awareness about these unlivable public housing conditions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you saying this book had an impact on people perspective on the living conditions in and how they destroyed the building to hide how they had to live in such filth.
Delete“There Are No Children Here” is a biography of two children living in the projects of Chicago during the 1980’s. In 1988, Alex Kotlowitz, the author, began to interview these boys in order to write the biography. The book tells of the boys’ experiences starting in 1987. The book takes place during a historic time period for Chicago. It was full of assaults, brutality, and struggle. When Kotlowitz wrote the book certainly makes a difference. He was writing about the lives of the two boys as the events were happening.
ReplyDeleteThe violence wasn’t over when Kotlowitz decided to interview the boys. In 1987, there were 691 murders, 119,072 accounts of theft, and 34,194 aggravated assaults recorded by the Chicago Police Department (Martin, Leroy). The Rivers family was under constant threat of gunfire, robbings and other forms of violence. This means that Kotlowitz was questioning them while they still worried about the gang violence. If they had been interviewed several years later, they might have forgotten the amount of fear or sorrow that they felt. For example, on pages 208 and 209, there is an account of Lafeyette’s mourning for Craig’s death. It says, “Craig’s death, LaJoe believed, broke Lafeyette… [H]e started thinking, “I ain’t doing nothing...I could die any minute.” It didn’t simply say that he was sad. It said that he was “broken”. If done later, Kotlowitz might not have been able to write with as many specifics.
Alex Kotlowitz talked to people who actually experienced the events. This creates a considerable difference to other books that were written about historical time periods. Other books are typically written with information that comes from historical documents and other personal accounts of history. Because he interviewed people who actually experienced the events, his stories had more detail and emotion. He didn’t have to fabricate any parts of the story because the meetings with people gave him what he needed. He could ask for clarification or follow-up questions when he was confused or needed more facts. This is something that definitely aided in his sharing of the boys’ everyday life.
It hasn’t been a very long time since the events transpired and the book was published. But, if the book were written today, the content would have suffered. The interviewees, particularly the Rivers family, wouldn’t have conveyed the same emotions. Also, the amount of detail that was put into each story made the book seem as if it were fiction which testifies to the quality of the content. It is doubtful that Kotlowitz could have recreated the scenes the same way if it was decades later.
Martin, Leroy. "Chicago Police Department Annual Report 1987." (1987): n. pag. ChicagoPolice.org. Chicago Police Department, 1 Jan. 1988. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. .
In the book “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz, is a documentary about two young boys growing up in the project of Chicago Illinois. What the writer of this book is trying to tell you is, that it wasn't easy growing up in poverty, with gangs, shooting which always lead to people killed and the thought of will I live to see another day. He is also giving us an extraordinary glimpse into the lives of those struggling for survival and dignity in the inner city. Alex Kotlowitz followed these two boys and wrote down everything that had happen to them in their life of journey. During the late 80’s to the early 90’s most people were not aware of how bad the situations were. I believe that this story is very accurate by writing in the current time, because it give the reader a better understanding of what life was like for them and what it may have been like for the children and families living in Henry Horner Homes.
ReplyDeleteThe effect of this book has been apparent by the destruction on Henry Horner Homes, it had an effect to the public because they demolished an entire building seemingly to cover up the less than mediocre conditions that these people had to live in. With everything being said in this book, and the fact that this book was written somewhat recent makes this book have an impact on one’s emotions. This is what people are suffering through today right here in America and People need to be aware of life in the projects and learn to appreciate what they do have now.
Alex Kotlowitz writes about the Chicago projects in the 80’s. The way i see it this book is the aftermath of what happened during the 60’s and what we researched while reading “The Help”. From the 60s segregation had ended and the suppression of black power failed and equal rights are given. The time period in the book is when the black community had begun to drag themselves out of the hole that the white people put them into and now they have to assert and demonstrate their power. He had decided to write this book in the middle of the Gangs peak. if you were an outsider from the projects you never knew how bad it was and how we left them with nothing and gave them no help to support themselves. basically the white people forced them to live like this and as a result they had to do whatever is necessary to improve their quality of life, whether that meant stealing, selling, or killing. This book was important in bringing to light the darkness that surrounds the projects of chicago and is a direct source of information on how people live in those areas.
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