The poststructuralist revision of historical criticism, "New Historicism," also studies background but includes more modes of study to discover excluded areas of the past. It urges self-consciousness about our presuppositions.
What was the impact of the novel on its society? How has the novel been received in society?
(Due Monday, March 20th at 8:00am)
The novel “There Are No Children Here” didn’t have a huge physical impact on society, only emotional. The novel showed life in the projects but there hasn’t been a dramatic change for people in the projects everywhere. Poverty is still huge and there are still gangs. Lafayette has been arrested with multiple charges. Pharaoh graduated high school but ended up being arrested after. The book gives us an idea of life in the projects but poverty and gangs are still huge. There wasn’t a great impact on society otherwise the projects wouldn’t be as large or even exist. The Horner Homes were destroyed but that doesn’t get rid of the gangs. Overall the impact on society was not huge physically only emotionally.
ReplyDeleteKotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
I would have to disagree with you about having a huge impact physically. One book took down two housing complexes. But everything else that you said was true it did not get rid of the gangs or poverty.
DeleteWhile I agree that the impact this book had on the actual streets of Chicago was pretty minimal . I disagree that it wasn't an impact nonetheless. The physical impact was pretty huge in bringing down the two run-down housing complexes. And we also have to remember that this is a book. It is extremely difficult to have an impact with a single writing. Also any positive impact that is made in this society is a huge impact overall. So I would actually say that this book had a great impact on the society.
DeleteThis book,the story of these peoples lives brought attention to the right people, which ended up bringing down the housing complexes. Whether that was a good or bad thing is...well... debatable. Regardless, being able to expose these very real problems through writing was what changed, (for better or worse) the situation these people were in.
DeleteThe release of There Are No Children Here had a huge impact on society. Mostly the society received the novel as something bad that happened, and they felt sorry for the people that lived there. But most people didn’t really do anything about it. The one impact that had a real life physical impact was the demolition of the Henry Horner Homes. Once the populus heard about the events happening there, something had to be done. The only other big impact the book had on its readers was that people should understand that there are people who wake up and wonder if they are going to live through day. All in all though, T.A.N.C.H impacted society in a way that really opened people’s eyes to what was happening in the projects.
ReplyDeletePatel, Bina M. "Kotlowitz." Kotlowitz. Illinois State University, 1991. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
"There Are No Children Here Summary & Study Guide." BookRags. BookRags, 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
When "There Are No Children Here" was published it had the same reaction that you explained which I agree with. It was a real eye-opener to many people across America because so many people could not believe the stories in the novel were actually true. Its also huge that just one book could cause the demolition of an entire complex where people lived.
DeleteI like how you mentioned that the residents often wonder whether they are going to live through the day. It is a struggle that most people, particularly in our society, don't have. But there, it is a real, unavoidable threat.
DeleteIn a place in Chicago during the 1980's people were living nearly in poverty or in poverty. Homes were filled with broken appliances and grime with windows boarded up. Children heard gunfire and fights so much it became normal. Parents could barely support themselves much less their children. America became aware of this other side when Alex Kotlowitz wrote his novel "There Are No Children Here." A story of two young boys and their family living in this area, the projects of Chicago.
ReplyDeleteWhen the book was first published it hit America right in the heart. It was a very hard thing to read for many people, and nearly impossible for some to imagine that the stories in the novel were all real. It almost seemed impossible that people were living in such horrid conditions in the same country, sometimes in the same state as well. Society saw the book as heartbreaking and eye opening. People living in much upper class cities couldn't begin to think of a world like the novel. “If I grow up, I want to be a bus driver” (Kotlowitz pg 1). Here is where readers are often shocked about what Lafeyette, one of the boys in the novel, said. He doesn’t even know if he will get the chance to grow up and even if he does a bus driver isn’t a very well paying job. “An extraordinary glimpse into the lives of those struggling for survival and dignity in inner-city America.” (alexkotlowitz.com). This book was viewed as shocking together as a whole and was able to provide an insight into what some people have to struggle with on a daily basis. It was hard, and still is hard to believe for readers.
"It's accessible to everybody. A 10-year-old can read it. Anybody can get something out of it. It's got a lot of theoretical depth and speaks to the struggles of big urban cities." (articles.chicagotribune.com) The biggest thing about this novel was that anyone could get something out of it. They could learn something from the events in it. They noticed how hard it was for people in the projects to get out of the cycle they were living in and how difficult life was and is for them. The book was almost teaching it’s readers not to take everything they own for granted, because the children in “There Are No Children Here” would dream to have what other upper class citizens had that were reading the novel.
Works Cited:
Daniels, Serena M. "Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
"There Are No Children Here." There Are No Children Here. Chicago Sun-Times, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
You clearly stated the emotional effect that the novel created on the readers by taking text from the book and from other sources to support the way people felt while reading. What other effects did the book have? What was another way the author used the stories of the boys in the novel to effect the reader, rather than just emotionally?
DeleteI talked in my previous blog about the impact the novel has created for the reader and for the characters within. Novels such as this one are very controversial as well as impactful because of the fact that it is non-fiction. The reader knows it is true story and the problems that happen within the novel really occurred. In this case, it’s hard to read and it’s scary to think about encountering.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned in Blog #2 that current research shows where the characters in the novel are now. LaJoe had a mental breakdown, the main characters in the book, Lafeyette and Pharaoh, have both spent time in jail, and many of the other characters mentioned within the novel have died (A Generation Later). This is just one of the many ways that the book changed things. While reading book reviews during my research, I found one that specifically tailors to the impact on society. “Whatever your ideology is going in, you will not look at poverty the same way after reading this book.” (Amazon prime Customer Reviews) Every person that picks up and reads this novel will be affected by the stories and situations these boys, children, families and whole neighborhoods encounter while living in the other America.
The effects that this novel has had on the public housing community has been astronomical. Not only was Henry Horner demolished, but Cabrini-Green was also taken down in 2010. The book didn’t only affect people, but organizations. The CHA has been working since publicity started to grow to create better lives for people once living in the projects of Chicago. “The $1.6 billion Plan for Transformation was developed to take poor residents out of crime-ridden, dilapidated, mismanaged high-rises and place them in mixed-income communities where they can thrive.” (Chicago Tribune) This is a massive change that partially came from the writing of Alex Kotlowitz. All the changes that the public housing organizations of Chicago are starting to think and starting to change their ways.
Not only do we see an effect that the book creates within the lives in it, but also within the reality of the areas in which they live. It is amazing how influential one author and one novel can be on a broken society.
Bowean, Lolly. "CHA Grinds toward Finish Line of Relocation Plan."Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. .
Collette, Matt. "A Generation Later, ‘There Are No Children Here’ Resonates | School Stories." A Generation Later, ‘There Are No Children Here’ Resonates | School Stories. WordPress, 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. .
Davidson, W.M. "Official Comment." Amazon.com: W. M. Davidson's Review of There Are No Children Here: The Story of T... Amazon, 21 July 2005. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. .
I think it is interesting that it took writing this book for the CHA to decide to make a change to the neighborhood. It's really sad that there were so many people living in these homes and the conditions were so awful. Also I think it is interesting to know where the boys are now, and to think when reading the book it isn't at all what most people expected.
DeleteThe book “There Are No Children Here” had a very strong impact on the area and America. Alex Kotlowitz wrote the book to share the story of these two boys, Laffeyette and Pharoah, and their family. Even though the lifestyle of people living in this area didn’t change right away, it brought a huge emotional reaction from people (Collette, Matt). It made people realize that these things in the book were completely real, and these boys had to live through it everyday. The book was a big reason for the demolition of Henry Horner Homes and other high rises in 2008. This did reduce the violent crimes citywide. (Sledge, Matt) Since the Henry Horner Homes were removed the neighborhood has made huge improvements. Not only in crime but the quality of the buildings in this area are much better. (Saltzman, Melanie, and Christina Avalos) Overall, “There Are No Children Here” told the truth about what these kids and families were going through on a daily bases, and brought an awareness to America that needed to be brought.
ReplyDeleteSaltzman, Melanie, and Christina Avalos. "Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?" Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes? Austin Weekly News, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Collette, Matt. "A Generation Later, ‘There Are No Children Here’ Resonates | School Stories." A Generation Later, ‘There Are No Children Here’ Resonates | School Stories. School Stories, 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Sledge, Matt. "Public Housing Demolition Lowered Overall Crime, New Study Says." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 June 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
I really like that you mentioned that this book brought awareness to America, and it was a necessary thing. I mentioned that as well because i feel that it is crucial that people understanding the life people are living just a little ways away. With that said, do you believe that the demolition of Henry Horner really happened because of the book?
DeleteThe book “There are no children here” impacted society by allowing people to realize what is going on around them. In the book, it is made clear that no one really knew what was really going on in the projects of Chicago. Even those who are in charge of running the projects, known as the CHA, didn’t even have a clue as to how decayed and revolting these buildings were. Once the book was written, our society saw it as a wake up call. According to Samuel G. Freedman, the book accomplished the goal of getting empathy towards those who are living in the projects. The books message spread almost like a disease, with more and more people reading it, as well as more and more journalists writing about social change by depicting the poor. Including those who are living in the projects.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the emotional impact of the book, there is also the physical impact as well. It all started with the demolition of the public housing projects. Part of the reason for destroying the high-rises was due to the book “There are no children here.” They then began the redevelopment of the projects, where it would be a mix of middle-class residents and low income residents. Since the new developments have been built, according to Melanie Saltzman and Christina Avolos, the residents have seen an immense improvement within the community. Since the redevelopment has been done, Chicago has seen its lowest crime rates since 1972.
Work Cited:
Avalos, Christina, and Melanie Saltzman. "Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?" Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes? Austin Weekly News, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. .
Freedman, Samuel G. "The Other America : THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America, By Alex Kotlowitz (A Nan A. Talese Book/Doubleday: $21.95; 320 Pp.)." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 Mar. 1991. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. .
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is fair to say that the book “There Are No Children Here” has had an impact on society. How much of one depends on someone’s point of view. From one perspective it absolutely had an impact on society, it single handedly brought down a skyscraper, brought the poverty in America to the public’s attention, and made the housing developments improve the living conditions of the building.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand did it really improve things in the projects of Chicago? Gangs are still branching out trying to control the streets. Drugs are still a widespread problem, violence is still a major issue, the crime rate is still ridiculously high.
So I ask again did it really improve things in Chicago? It truly depends on the point of view, whether the little victories that the book accomplished are enough to consider this book a great success, or whether the fact that the streets of Chicago are just as bad as they’ve ever been demean the point of the book. Let’s put it this way, the situation in the projects of Chicago is definitely better off for having this book written. Any little improvement that can be made to this society is monumental and this book scored quite a few improvements, and for people like Lafayette and Pharoah growing up in a place like this, that can make all the difference.
Mitch I completely agree with you. I especially agreed with your statement that said "the situation in the projects of Chicago is definitely better off for having this book written."
DeleteAlso since no one else has touched on it I think you have lovely hair.
DeleteI question your statement saying the projects are now better than they were due to this novel. Even though the abolishment of There are no children here sparked the demolition of the Henery Horner Homes, that doesn't mean the gangs were weakened or crime went down.
Delete“There are no children here” Impact on society was huge. One book written about the projects of Chicago had such an impact on the housing that the novel was written around. “In 1991, the same year the book was published, Henry Horner residents embarked on a legal battle that led to a federal consent decree to have the site redeveloped. The towering high-rises were eventually demolished and replaced with townhouses, condominiums and public housing apartments.”(Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here) For one book along to have an housing complex demolished is huge.
ReplyDeleteInner cities “ have become mine fields for the explosive issues of race, values, and community responsibility, led by the plight of the urban underclass. Issues such as violent crime, social separation, welfare dependence, drug wars, and unemployment all play a major role in the plight of American inner-city life.” (Kotlowitz) These issues were also seen after “ There are no children here” was published. Some people cared about what was happening and helped, and most did not. Lafayette commented on what he has seen while sitting at a dinner “The type of life, where I came from, it's almost like being in Vietnam," he said while sitting in a busy South Shore neighborhood diner Saturday. "You need to surround yourself with people who are more positive so you don't drive yourself crazy. The stuff I've seen could drive the average person crazy."(Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here)
Daniels, Serena M. "Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Salazar, Petrita. "Kotlowitz." Kotlowitz. Illinois State University, 04 May 1995. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
The book “There are No Children Here” had more of an impact on society than Kotlowitz, or anyone else for that matter, could have predicted. The most notable historical change that took place was in the arena of public housing. The book shed a bright and brutal light on the subject that many people wanted no part of. Even though the Civil Rights Movement was now a generation in the past, there were clearly still those that wanted nothing more than to keep blacks separate from the whites. This increased publicity on the subject of public housing put in motion some much needed bills and programs designed to address the situation. The Hope IV program was one of the first actions taken after the publishing of the book. Hope IV was a tax in which the funds were devoted to demolishing poor-quality public housing projects and replacing them with nicer and less crowded complexes. (Modern Housing for America) They would also be occupied with a greater variety of incomes. This combated the idea that public housing, or the projects, breeds crime and violence. With a more diverse group of people with different levels of income living in these houses, they thought, there might be a better chance at integrating the lifestyles of both the poor and the rich alike. (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) Several more initiatives followed such as the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act and the Urban Renewal program. Kotlowitz was able to move a nation's government with this work of art.
ReplyDeleteHoward, Amy L. More Than Shelter: Activism and Community in San Francisco Public Housing. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2014.
Radford, Gail, "Modern Housing for America: Policy Struggles in the New Deal Era." Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
HUD, "HUD History" (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website, 10 January 2012)
I like how you included that the idea of segregation is still in play to this day. However, this book did more than just raise awareness of the housing projects. It also brought to live the educational struggles the children went through because of their living conditions along with the harsh reality of living in inner city America.
DeleteThe novel “There Are No Children Here”, was a huge contributing factor in the act of opening the eyes of the general public, to the atrocities of the Henry Horner living environment. The book went in depth on the daily struggles of the two boys Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers. The publication of this book was the induction to demolition of the Henry Horner homes in 2008. This book had a lot of various impacts on society. To those who do not understand the hardships of the projects of Chicago, this book has potential to cultivate a new perspective.“...Kotlowitz's narrative leaves us with indelible images to back these facts up: the bathroom faucet that shoots water day and night, the bloodstain in the stairwell outside of the boys' apartment, the death of Lafayette's beloved friend at the hands of police, the basement full of decomposing animal carcasses. Through it all, we identify with Pharoah's sorely tested innocence and the earnest uncertainty of Lafayette - too responsible, too young.” "There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America." These are all struggles that some people may never have to face in their entire lifetime. At a young age, such exposure could lead to severe detrimental issues both physically, and mentally.
ReplyDeleteLeupoid, Julie. "There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America." Portfolio at NYU. Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, 1992. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
"There Are No Children Here." There Are No Children Here. Chicago Sun-Times, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
“There Are No Children Here” is a novel that changed society from its original state at least for a little while. This novel alone was a large reason of the Henry Horner Homes being torn down because of how much negative publicity it had received. “But we are far from perfect and tend not to talk about ways to overcome poverty. In fact, many turn a blind eye toward the intractable issues of race, ethnicity and poverty.” (Sawyers, Susan). It also showed a part of society that is usually overlooked which often sparks people with a lot of interest in the subject itself. "The type of life, where I came from, it's almost like being in Vietnam,"(Daniels, Serena). A large part of the societal impact was because of quotes like that showing how children at the time viewed their lives to be. No they weren’t really in Vietnam but in reality they were in fact trying to survive their own war. This book seemed to have a bigger emotional response than it did anything else because of how the characters and events were portrayed.
ReplyDeleteDaniels, Serena M. "Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Tribune Reporter, 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Sawyers, Susan. "Alex Kotlowitz on Poverty and Schools." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
I don't think you could find one person living in Henry Horner home that doesn't have and emotional story I don't think that the emotion came from Pharroh and Lafayette. Through out the book yes we were slowly more and more attached to them but I thinks that's only because we saw what they were put through. But the fact is ever person in Henry Horner homes is out through some thing similar to that.
DeleteThe book "There Are No Children Here" has been received very positively in society. After the book was published Henry Horner homes were demolished. That's how much of an impact this book made. Also I believe Alex Kotlowitz did a very good job with building the characters in the story so that we could love them as much as he did. And in return for doing that this novel and Pharroh, Lafayette and Lajoe were loved by many others. Also this book raised a lot of awareness. Talking about how many rapes, murders, thefts and all the other crimes were just astounding (page 131133). After this book people really understood what it felt like to be living with that a very real and constant threat. This book was was very emotionally touching so lots of people responded in a very positive way. That's why this book was received so well in society.
ReplyDeleteStaltzman, Melanie. "Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?" Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes? Medill News, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
“If I grow up, I want to be a bus driver” (Kotlowitz pg 1). From the first page to the last, the lives of the children and families in the projects continuously shocked the reader. Lafayette and Pharoah’s childhood, to their adulthood, emphasizes the level of imprisonment these people can’t escape from. Exposing problems of this magnitude through “There Are No Children Here,” brought down two housing complexes, which answers if it had an impact on society with a resounding “yes.” People were made aware of the lives these human beings were stuck living. Change was eminent, and eventually these complexes were brought down. Most would agree these were problems that needed to be dealt with, and they were. The people however, were once again, ignored. With every good and bad story, they are eventually forgotten. The problems this book brought up were no longer under the eye of the public, and therefore no longer of interest. Without the consistent drive for improvement, the situations the people lived in didn't exceed that of before. If there is one everlasting impact this book had, it would be on public housing and the standards in which it must now live up to. Regulations and keeping “closer eye” on public housing was put into effect with different movements. If anything, to most, this book opened the eyes of the reader.
ReplyDeleteKotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
Radford, Gail, "Modern Housing for America: Policy Struggles in the New Deal Era." Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
In a way the novel, “There Are No Children Here” did impact society, but not as much as one would hope. Shortly after the novel was released the Henry Horner Homes were destroyed due to its horrible condition. Although the novel did shed some light on to what its like for the people who live in public housing projects, sadly it didn’t stop things like poverty, gangs, drugs, crime, and high unemployment rates in the area. These things are hard to change due to the fact that it take a lot of time, money, and effort to get rid of them. The impact it had on society is what some would expect it to do. The novel opened the eyes of readers of what its like to live in “the other America”. A review on the website goodreads.com by a user going by the name Teri states, “At the time this book was written, I was nearly the same age as the main characters and living only 12 miles away in the near west suburb of Bellwood. We thought we were poor back then but this book has opened my eyes to bottomless abyss of poverty.” This only goes to show that even people living so close had no idea what was going on in the housing projects. So in a way it did impact society but not in the way one would hope, this novel only touched on one family's story out of hundreds of thousands.
ReplyDeleteWorks cited:
Portman, Teri .. "There Are No Children Here." Goodreads. Teri Portman, 13 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
To be honest, there are no children here didn't have much of an impact on the 1980 society or the early and late 1990s society. The only society that the book has had an impact on, is today's society. A society that has been born about 35 years after the events in the book. Strange though, the things that happened back in the 1980s are only just now starting to impact how people see poverty in their own nation. But, being completely honest. I don't feel that this book has changed many peoples opinions and views on the matter of gang violence and intercity poverty. I actually feel like it's brought up how much we in today's culture feel no obligation to help relieve the nation of this horror. Instead, for people who grow up in a privileged house. Major issues as these are seen as a blemish on society and are ignored as such. This is only due to the lack of experience with matters such as; having to go hungry because you can't afford to eat more then once a day; No electricity; ect. But if more people truly knew how it was. Outside of reading a book. Then it would have made more of a impact on society. Because society only sees itself as what it wants to be. Not what it actually is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely! The society in 1980's didn't get impacted. But, do you think it is because they weren't able to share news like we are today? I like what you said at the end how "society only sees itself as what it wants to be". That sticks out to me and makes me understand what you are trying to say.
Delete"There Are No Children Here" certainly had an impact on today's society at least. As I was reading the novel, some scenes made me feel horrified about the childrens' living conditions. A prime example is the basement situation where there was food, new refrigerators, etc. but no one had told anyone living in the building about them, and it became a pigsty where the CDC might have been needed to clear it out. Those type of living conditions are, to today's perspective, inhumane.
ReplyDeleteSince There Are No Children here is a non-fiction book society has received it in an academic way. The book teaches us about gang violence’s affect on the people in the gangs as well as people’s lives who are not in the gangs. It’s not the fault of just the location of chicago, it’s mostly due to the poverty level. To this day the poverty is terrible in Chicago. One in every five citizens is living in poverty, that’s about 556,000 people. So what do those every one in five people do to get by in the world? They turn to the gangs. (Chicago, the City That works.) We already know that Terence was a member of a gang, and he’s not the only one, Ricky already knew what his life was going to have to be so he was trying to convince Lafayette to commit crimes with him. Such as shoplifting from a convenience store, or robbing cars stopped at stop signs. According to the article “Chicago Gang Violence” The amount of gang members in Chicago is more than 8 times that of the police’s force. Since the book took place in an actual building complex in Chicago and used the actual name of the building complex it has been torn down since this book was released. But who’d blame them for tearing it down, the book even states that Henry Horner Homes’s pipe system was clogged to the point where the systems were backing up to the upper floors. It would probably be much cheaper just to tear the whole building down and rebuild a new one instead of tearing out all of the pipes and putting new ones in. And on top of that there was a book released about how crappy it is to live in Henry Horner Homes, so at that point it seemed like a great idea to rebuild from the ashes. Its not the race of the majority of the people in the city, its not the geographical location of the city, its the poverty rate. People will do what they must to survive this urban wasteland.
ReplyDeleteBogira, Steve. "Chicago, the City That Works—just Ignore the Poverty." Chicago Reader. The Bleader, 2 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
"Chicago Gang Violence." ABC News. ABC News Network, Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWalking down stairs in The Projects is a whole different story then walking down the stairs in a normal area. When you are walking down the stairs of a building in The Projects, you are fighting for your life. The violence is high and no matter where you are or where you are walking you will always have to watch your back. These boys from the book “There Are No Children Here” had to deal with this everyday of their lives. These are two young boys that not only are fighting for their lives but have already accepted the fact that they might not grow up.
ReplyDeleteThis book didn’t have an impact on society of the 1980’s or even the 1990’s. The only impact on society it actually has had was on our generation and our society today. Even today we are not able to understand why any of the violence and cruelty happen. We do not live in a society that lives like that, so it is hard for us to understand why all of that was happening. Back then in the 1980’s they only heard about what was going on in The Projects. They weren't reading about it. (Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth) That is why it wasn't affecting the society like it has affected our society. People are saying how wrong it would be to raise kids in this type of area. But, They don't have anywhere else to go and back then nobody is going to take a kid and raise them somewhere else because usually they have other family to take care of in The Projects too. People ask, Why couldn't the police put a stop to everything that has always been going on in The Projects? This is because the police had no control. There was too much violence to keep up with and try to put a stop too. (Novel Review: “There Are No Children Here)
Cites:
FOrd, Drs Anthony. "Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth." PMC. Paediatr Child Health, 8 Jan. 2003. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
Pass, Aimee. "Novel Review: “There Are No Children Here”." - NTDaily. Staff Photographer, 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
I agree that "There Are No Children Here" has had an impact on today's society but I also believe that the book had and even greater impact in the 90's.
DeleteYou make an interesting point Jaren. You also pointed out how the situations were so hard to change, and they truly were. I do have to say though that this book did have a large impact. It wasn't largely publicized, but it was there and initiated something big.
DeleteThe novel “There Are No Children Here” had an enormous impact on society, both in the book and in real life. On page x of the book “There Are No Children Here” Lafeyette states that “if he grows up, he wanted to be a bus driver.” That statement right there proves that in the 1980s poverty still existed.
ReplyDeleteHenry Horner Homes and the other projects of inner city America were filled with gangs drugs and just straight poverty. Everyday was a struggle just to survive. That is why when the novel “There Are No Children Here” was published, everything changed. “There Are No Children Here” gave an insider’s view of what it was like being apart of the “Other America”. This scared people and in doing so things changed. Henry Horner Homes along with of public housing complexes were torn down and mixed income homes were put up. The area is now a better place solely because the area is now more diverse and there’s a lot less gang activity.("Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?")
Sadly, everything that was done to combat poverty didn’t amount to much. The gangs were still there and so was the poverty, it just wasn’t as prominent. All in all I believe society received the novel “There Are no Children Here” fairly well because as a result changes are being made to improve the well-being of Americans everywhere.
Works cited:
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
SALTZMAN, MELANIE. "Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?"Austinweeklynews. CHRISTINA AVALOS Medill News Service, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
The aftereffects of the book “There Are No Children Here” may never be entirely captured, as this was, and continues to be, one of the most controversial books our country has ever seen. In it’s own time, the public release of this novel changed our countries perspective entirely around the cities of our nation. It has made dramatic differences to the world around us in the years since its publication. The Chicago Tribune reports that; “ "There Are No Children Here" by Oak Park resident Alex Kotlowitz was an important part of a movement in the latter part of the 20th century to fix what was wrong with public housing.” This included such changes as an enforced curfew to some parts of the cities where these public housing buildings were, as well as a more common police presence in the town to enforce law and keep an eye on gang activity. The book "really humanized some of the problems people didn't want to pay attention to." says Sue Popkins, a housing expert who has done extensive investigations of the Chicago Housing Authority. This could not be said enough, as the book causes most readers to begin rooting for these children, and it becomes extremely clear that the people who live in similar places to Henry Horner Homes, have a much darker life to live than most people we see today. This book continues to inspire many people to make a difference in the inner cities around our country, and help the people who live in them. In 1994, some public housing buildings were deemed uninhabitable by the CHA, and closed down completely. In 1995, The CHA began a $200 million revitalization project for the public housing structures around Chicago, and many community improvement programs were launched by 1999. After a large improvement to Horner and the surrounding community, the area was renamed Westhaven, as an attempt to distance the improved community from the stigma that remained after the history of Horner. “There Are No Children Here” was a huge part of this movement, and one of the biggest backings for the revitalization of the Henry Horner Homes area in the late 1990’s. It brought America’s focus to the deteriorating situation taking place in public housing zones across the country, and by doing so, brought the help of surrounding housing authorities to these places. This novel has been seen as a light shone onto the dark and dangerous public housing lifestyle that exists within America’s inner cities. It continues to educate people of these places in our country, what life is like for the people who live there, and how our government seems to have forgotten, or turned their backs, on these people and areas in our inner cities.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Kotlowitz, Alex. "Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Serena Maria Daniels, 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-14/news/ct-met-interrupters-0814-20110814_1_public-housing-chicago-housing-authority-town-house
Kotlowitz, Alex. "“There Are No Children Here” 20 Years Later." Legally Sociable There Are No Children Here 20 Years Later Comments. Brian (?), 11 Aug. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
http://legallysociable.com/2011/08/15/there-are-no-children-here-20-years-later/
Facts about the revitalization of public housing in Chicago during the 1990’s:
Kotlowitz, Alex. "The Hidden War." Google Books. Susan J. Popkin, 200. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
https://books.google.com/books?id=2JGsyIcsRxYC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=sue+popkin+there+are+no+children+here&source=bl&ots=Nn8xkAfaNe&sig=QuQ8UUYFPDjOuVa3FOXN7rdkf38&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AhA0VZ6wJci2ogSTlYCoAg&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=sue%20popkin%20there%20are%20no%20children%20here&f=false
When “There Are No Children Here” was published, it impacted the part of society greatly. When the book came out, it opened the eyes of many around the states that weren’t aware of what was taking place in these lower income areas of the country. The book obviously had some sort of impact on the officials in the area of Chicago, due to the fact the the Henry Horner Homes were demolished in 2008. The gang activity that Kotlowitz described in the book gave many people a glimpse of the activities that were taking place in the projects. Although the book was not able to stop the gangs by any stretch of the imagination, it made others extremely aware. When the book was released, society seemed to receive the book on a personal level. Many readers were probably shocked that such awful things were taking place, but it also gave the readers a whole different outlook on life. Many commenters on “goodreads.com” state that the book did really open their eyes as to how fortunate they were. One comment that really stood out to me stated that the commenter lived on the North-Side of Chicago. She then proceeded to say “The lifestyles and environment of people who lived in Public Housing such as the Henry Horner Homes in Chicago, on the other hand, were so far below my standard of living, as to make me ashamed for ever having used the word "poor" in regards to my childhood.” The idea that these people lived so close to each other, however their was an astronomical economic incline is incredible to me. Overall the book played a major role in society at the time, however I do feel like after the homes were demolished, the books impact has faded tremendously.
ReplyDeletePortman, Teri .. "There Are No Children Here." Goodreads. Teri Portman, 13 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
The novel There are no children here, exposed how truly terrifying growing up in the projects of chicago was for two little boys. The violent stories of gang shoot outs, deaths of friends, burglary and constant murder, received the attention by many that previously were unaware of life in the Ghetto. (chicago tribune, page 1)Sue Popkin, a housing expert at the Urban Institute who has researched the Chicago Housing Authority for more than 20 years, said the book "really humanized some of the problems people didn't want to pay attention to." Not only did this novel demonstrate the harsh crimes that enveloped this area, but it also led to the demolition of the Henry Horner Homes. (chicago tribune, page 1)In 1991, the same year the book was published, Henry Horner residents embarked on a legal battle that led to a federal consent decree to have the site redeveloped. The towering high-rises were eventually demolished and replaced with townhouses, condominiums and public housing apartments. Civilians were angry that this kind of behavior was taking place and being so poorly handled by the police. Without this novel, the Henry Horner Homes may have remained in the heart of these conditions and act as a shelter and meeting place for gang activity. examples of the worst in public housing, according to the CHA's reports and documents. (CHA grinds toward finish line of relocation plan, page 1)As a result, 25,000 households have been relocated to other public housing developments, private apartments paid for with vouchers or newly built mixed-income communities.”With the attention of the book, the CHA is working towards providing a more safe and organized living situation for families like La Joes in the projects.
ReplyDelete"Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here." Tribune Digital-chicagotribune. N.p., 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"CHA Grinds toward Finish Line of Relocation Plan." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. N.p., 08 Jan. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
The novel “There Are No Children Here” brought awareness of the kinds of living conditions many families suffered through in housing projects, not only at Henry Horner, but in many other cities across the country. This novel forces the reader to think about racism from a realistic standpoint; that it still exists. Susan Sawyers of The Huffington Post describes it as “...we are far from perfect and tend not to talk about ways to overcome poverty” (Alex Kotlowitz on Poverty in Schools). In fact, many turn a blind eye toward the intractable issues of race, ethnicity and poverty.” Alex Kotlowitz made no effort to sugarcoat the lifestyle of Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers, making this work of nonfiction stick in the mind of the reader
ReplyDeleteFrequently throughout the book, LaJoe and many other housewives in Henry Horner exclaimed how more than anything, they wanted their children to graduate high school and have a chance at moving out of the public housing projects. “There Are No Children Here” brought up the important issue of public education in inner cities. There have been many studies done on the effects violence has on children in relation to their success in school. “A study out of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has found, not surprisingly, that children exposed to violence tend to do less well at school” (I See Everything Through This Tragedy). Since the release of this book, many tools have been put into place to help families cope with these constant losses. In the novel, efforts were made by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to improve living conditions such as refurbishing the playground, cleaning the basements of the high rises, and much more. We don’t realize how much tragedy affects education unless we have personally been through it. It is difficult for the reader to put this into perspective while reading this novel.
The issue of segregation may pop into the mind of the reader while reading this novel as well. Kotlowitz mention in the book that Henry Horner consisted mostly of black families. This, being a minority group, populated one of the most dangerous areas in the country. These families couldn’t afford to live anywhere else besides the projects. To this day, minority groups make up some the majority of the lower class in the country. “Children of color are four times more likely than their white peers to be born into a poor family and suffer a lifetime of consequences, ranging from diminished academic standing to increased financial insecurity” (Minority Children Four Times More Likely To Start Poor, Stay Poor). This was extremely apparent in “There Are No Children Here” and to this day continues to raise awareness regarding these racial issues.
Works Cited:
Kotlowitz, Alex. "I See Everything Through This Tragedy." PBS. PBS, 02 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. .
Sawyers, Susan. "Alex Kotlowitz on Poverty and Schools." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. .
Ross, Janell. "Minority Children Four Times More Likely to Start Poor, Stay Poor." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. .
Its sad to think that the only group of people that this book has an “impact” on is upper-middle class white children reading this book 35 years later, and yet we still don't do more than just feel thankful for what we have. Sure, they happen to tear down the Horner homes after the book was published but people were trying to do that for years. The CHA mentioned in the book put their whole heart and soul into renovating Horner and you think they tore down the homes because of one novel? It mentions in the epilogue that CHA workers wore pins that said “I am part of the solution” so everyone was well aware that something needed to change before the novel was published (Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here). Were the CHA workers a solution? Or were they just a band aid on the huge boo boo, on what we call the the projects, and Lafayette and Pharaoh call home. Even though they tore down the original Horner homes I don't see anyone from Castle Rock hopping on the next plane to Chicago to check out apartments. Its still not a pleasant place to live and I'm sure if Kotlowitz were to go back now he could find just as “exciting” content from two new boys growing up in the other America. An apartment in that area is still considered a low income apartment (Chicago Public Housing). Im not saying what CHA did and is doing isn't helping, but as a wise man once said, you can’t polish a turd, cause its still a turd. To truly impact this society you would need to stop the never ending cycle that already takes place there, unfortunately theres is no easy fix and therefore we will probably have more novels, like this one, in the future to make privileged people thankful for what they have.
ReplyDeleteKotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
Moody, Terry M. "Chicago Public Housing 2015." Cities Project. Target, 20 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
The fact that “There Are No Children Here” is non-fiction is reason enough to say that this book had a tremendous impact on its society. It is extremely shocking and devastating that people actually lived like this. For people living on the outskirts of big cities, especially a place like Chicago, it was unbelievably deranged that this type of community existed just minutes away. Society in this time period desperately needed a book like this written. This novel allowed the readers to become aware of the lifestyle these people were living, and hopefully brought critically needed help to the community.
ReplyDeletePublic housing was the most drastic change that took place after this book. It inspired an important project, which was to fix what was wrong with the public housing developments over the years. Sue Popkin, a housing expert at the Urban Institute who has researched the Chicago Housing Authority for more than twenty years, said, “the book really humanized some of the problems people didn’t want to pay attention to.” (Daniels, 2011) For this reason, and many others, the whole concept of it made it an imperative novel to be published. When the book was published, in 1991, the residents of Henry Horner started a legal battle fighting to have their community redeveloped. However, this change never happened, and the site was replaced with condominiums and town houses. Today, in Chicago, the CHA has made a commitment to how the public housing is managed, and any services the residences need. Ultimately, the novel has been received to people as a case that needed to be dealt with. Without this novel, as well as the knowledge it has brought people, who knows how much the living conditions would have changed, or not at all, in these inner cities.
Works Cited:
Daniels, Serena M. "Oak Park Author Reflects on the Two Decades since Publication of There Are No Children Here." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
Many emotions were felt when I read There are no Children Here. Naturally, the book strikes deep into many people’s minds. The author, Alex Kotlowitz, went in to the situations he did knowing the conditions were going to be bad. In the reading, you can see some of his emotions too. He was shocked by what he saw, and portrayed this. The impact on the readers is great. Me being one of them, it gave me a new look on poverty and Chicago. Overall this book does have an impact on society. We can see this in the actions that take place in Henry Horny after this book was published. I cite Austin News Weekly again because they really cover such a broad spectrum of what went on in Henry Horner, as well as describe the reactions as well. Much more efforts were made to better the community, because this book brought to light how real the struggles were. If I had to answer the question in one sentence, then I would say yes. We see change in the community and the readers benefit from knowing that places and situations like this are out there and has a positive impact.
ReplyDeleteWilkenson, John. "Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes?"Beginning, End, Rebirth of Henry Horner Homes? N.p., 14 June 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
ReplyDeleteThis book is underestimated and is able to capture the horrifying truth and put a spin of hope into it without diminishing the surplus of information it gives unlike its more elegant rivals. (Samuel G. Freedman LA Times). Its true this book had not gone unseen but is more often overlooked. it brought to light many horrible truths about the projects and ultimately ended the existence of Henry Horner Homes. Other than that not very much has changed in the south side. at least now people are aware of what is going on and how bad it is but really how much can you change chicago when there is numerous forces keeping people from cleaning it up. People can't change if they don't want to. Solve one problem two more take its place. Just because Horner is gone doesn't mean that all the troubles are solved that just makes the problem expand to more areas. thousands of people were relocated and they just expanded gang turf instead of keeping it isolated. In the end its really as if the book never existed. Terrance and Pharaoh weren't able to escape even though they people assume they are now famous and safe. both are now 30 years old and have served prison sentences.(Matt collette, A Generation Later)
Works Cited:
Freedman, Samuel G. "The Other America : THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America, By Alex Kotlowitz." The Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 1991. Web.
Colette, Matt. "A Generation Later, ‘There Are No Children Here’ Resonates | School Stories." A Generation Later, ‘There Are No Children Here’ Resonates | School Stories. School Stories, 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
Most of us can not imagine growing up in the America that Kotlowitz describes in his novel “There Are No Children Here”, but because of him we see the issues that are prevalent in the low-income urban areas. In the book we see that a small percentage of the people living in this area try to get out of the poverty they live in through education and staying out of trouble, while other just accept it and continue following in the footsteps of many people by joining gangs and becoming involved in violence. This book had a huge impact on society, both physically and emotionally. “This did reduce the violent crimes citywide. (Sledge, Matt)” The negative attention this book brought to the henry horner homes helped with the demolition of these homes and many other high rises. Since this novel was non-fiction it was devastating and heart breaking for the readers to realize that all of this actually happened and children had to constantly try and survive in this area. This novel was an eye opener for the readers to understand the difference between their lifestyle compared to the one in the book.
ReplyDeleteSledge, Matt. "Public Housing Demolition Lowered Overall Crime, New Study Says." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 June 2012. Web. 3 May 2015.