Analysis Of Lullabi For Little Criminals

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Generational Problems Maintained By Stigma and Poverty! The novel Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill is narrated by Baby -- the 12 year old protagonist and daughter of a single father and heroin addict, Jules. Baby never knew her mother and is unaware that she has any other family. They live in various dilapidated hotels in Montreal’s red light district. As Karl Marx famously said “[People] make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past." Likewise, the selection of her family and the environment in which she lived were not determined by Baby. Baby was born in an unstable and …show more content…

Baby encounters stigma from authority figures and classmates, further contributing to her low self-esteem. For example, after a school teacher informed Xavier’s parents that, Baby is a troubled child from a broken home - Baby is unwelcome at his house. Lauren was Baby friend; however after witnessing Baby’s home life she humiliated and excluded Baby. Furthermore, they were many instances where the social workers and teachers could have intervened and made a positive difference in Baby’s life. However, they all fail to do so; Baby lamented "they are afraid of my sadness" (O'Neill, 2006, …show more content…

Meile (2006) uses Jessica and Elaine story to demonstrate how a stable environment had a positive effect on Jessica’s behaviour once her family was placed in affordable housing.(p.71). Likewise, a Basic Income (BI) program would have helped Jules with the finances and alleviated the financial stress he experienced. Furthermore BI, access to free healthcare and education allows individuals to reset family histories more expediently than under a neoliberal framework; thereby alleviating or ending intergenerational problems. Johnson noted that “People make systems happen - consciously or not - and systems lay out paths of least resistance that shape how people participate.” (Johnson, A.G 2008 p.g 19). In order for our system to work effectively, the rules must be

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