It’s fall season, and the city was crowded as usual. Jada sighed as she walked down the familiar streets of Philadelphia. Her hands were in the pockets of her ragged and soiled pants. It didn’t help much that she was wearing an oversized white-collar shirt. The stains were very prevalent and made her look even dirtier. But she didn’t care much. After months of living on the streets she learned to not care what people thought of her. Whether it was street trash, homeless, or a waste. These were some of the names she often heard from passerby’s. She closed her mind off to these words. After all, words didn’t hurt at all, being homeless was worse. Jada smiled slightly as she reached her destination, an alley on the south side of town. She …show more content…
The Coldest Winter Ever was the title. She opened the book and began to read. Her eyes began to drift over the words that were printed on the frayed pages. She started to get lost in the world that was placed between the bindings of this …show more content…
As she opened her eyes she realized the alley had flooded in some parts. She was shivering and her dog beds were soaked. She sighed and grabbed her books that had became soggy over the night. She put them on top of the dumpster so they would dry. Her stomach began to groan, and she realized she hadn’t ate much in a couple days. She sighed and wrung out her shirt the best she could. She left the alley to do the one thing she knew how to do best. Pickpocketing. After walking down a few blocks, she spotted her first victim. He was tall and slender, blonde hair and he was talking on a cell phone. Perfect, she thought. He looked like he was in a rush. He was already distracted by his phone, so Jada figured this would be a piece of cake. She smirked as she started towards him. In passing she ‘accidentally’ bumped his shoulder hard. At the same time, she slipped her hand into his coat pocket to check for a wallet or change. “I’m Sorry sir.” she said quickly. She smiled as her fingers curled around a leather wallet and she slipped it out and into her own pocket. The entire exchange lasted less than 5 seconds. “Watch where you’re going the next time!” The man hissed angrily, proceeding to complain into his cell as she walked off grinning with his
Mark Peterson’s 1994 photograph, Image of Homelessness, compares the everyday life of the working class to the forgotten life of the lowest class in society. In the image, the viewer can see a troubled homeless man wrapped in a cocoon of standard manipulated 12in by 12in cardboard boxes and yarn. The yarn is what is keeping the man and box tied to the red bench. This bench has chipped paint and is right in front of a black fence. Underneath the bench is dirt and debris from the dead fall leaves. The center focal point is the homeless man on the bench. He is the focal point because he is the greatest outsider known to man. Behind this man is vibrant life. There is pulsating people crossing the clean street, signs of life from all the advertising on store windows, families walking and blurred cars filled with
Winter tries to do whatever she can to take care of her sister, help her mother, get her father free and everything back to the way that it use to be. Everything seems to go wrong after that happens and Winter is only worried about herself from then on. The characters in this novel all represent individuals in every urban slum in America from the lords to the workers, from the young children growing up fast in the culture of violence and moral decay
...on the homeless community. I previously held preconceived notions that the homeless consisted of people who were either unable to connect and form relationships with others or didn’t desire to do so. Yet, I observed most everyone greeting one another and reminiscing with those who have been absent from the community for a while, as well as, expressing concern for those missing. I recognized that the homeless may live in a non-traditional way, but they have established their own communities and are successful in forming and maintaining cohesive relationships.
The homeless population is growing in America. There are more and more Americans living in boxes, sleeping on park benches and panhandling on the streets each day. These people tend to make us, the non-homeless, feel uncomfortable and unsafe. They are also placing increasing stress on the nation's economy. In short, the homeless are a burden on the rest of society. There needs to be action taken against them. "I shall now humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection (Swift.)" I propose that all of the homeless be relocated to foreign third world countries. They can then be hired in American factories producing shoes, automobiles and other various goods at less than one dollar per hour.
He states “70.6 percent of the 6,500 homeless people on any given night are considered ‘unsheltered’” (2), which serves a dual purpose; it creates sympathy for the homeless, solidifying Kurhi’s opinion that the homeless shelter is needed for those who are “unsheltered,” while maintaining his credibility. Furthermore, Kurhi quotes Sunnyvale Councilman Jim Davis, who broaches the fact that “’there are still a lot of people in danger’ on the streets” (2), further evoking sympathy and underlining Kurhi’s approval for the efforts taken by city officials to establish a new shelter. As the article progresses, Kurhi continues to further his purpose of creating an informative, unbiased article by providing the problems that are present within the city’s homelessness, and how it may prevent officials from reaching out to those who are displaced. He notes that the “topography of the county…the numerous creek beds and little pockets of open space... [become] ersatz permanent shelters” (3). Kurhi’s analysis of the problem is evident in this excerpt; his use of imagery serves to create sympathy for the rough conditions that homeless people live in and also creates urgency for the problem of sheltering the homeless. Through rhetorical devices, statistics, and emotional appeal, Kurhi manages to further his
her cellphone to dial 911, but in her haste, the zipper broke. She quickly glanced behind her...
Statistically, over 670,000 Americans are homeless with a growing number. 48 million people go to bed hungry every night. Although we do provide shelters and opportunities in America, millions of people are homeless worldwide. Even on a more minor level there are still hundreds homeless within hometowns. Everyday we encounter the homeless whether by seeing them holding their personal signs at stoplights, confronts with beggars, or viewing them from afar under bridges. In her essay titled “On Compassion”, writer Barbara Ascher uses rhetorical techniques detailing some of her personal homeless experiences within the city life, Asher does effectively use logos, pathos,
Bums. Addicts. Strays. Hobos. Homeless. In America, there is no optimism for the homeless. These people are a lost cause. They are just a waste- a blight to our beautiful cities. No one wants to acknowledge the man asleep in a deserted construction site. No one wants to imagine that he once had a purpose or that he once had hope for his future. Most of all, no one wants to recognize that he got to where he is today because our society as a system has failed him. For so many homeless people like this man, their problems begin as young adults. They struggle to establish themselves for so many reasons. But, what if we could offer young adults in poverty a chance to live to their full potential? What if they learned necessary skills for the workforce? What if they were loved and guided by allies to live up to their
...stic things in order to live a better, more sound, and overall healthier life. Juxtaposition makes the audience want to follow through with the purpose. Exemplification causes the audience to realize the extent of their materialistic nature. A definition of the average homeless person’s terms allows him to build his ethos and consequently allow the audience to believe and follow his purpose. A majority of people are a part of the middle class, and this majority tends to judge the poor for their lifestyle whether it be through Dumpster diving or begging on the streets. However, as proven by the essay, these people have no right to do so because the poor do, in reality, have a greater sense of self than these middle-class people, similar to the rich. The middle-class citizens must no longer act the victim; instead, they should be working on becoming more sentimental.
Youth become homeless for a number of reasons including: family violence and neglect, rejection due to sexual orientation or gender identity, the overwhelmed child welfare system and extreme poverty. These youth almost always have experienced unimaginable abuse and trauma, in their homes, their communities, and on the street. It is the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)-funded services and programs that help to rectify the deep injustices that homeless youth experience on a daily basis.
Her use of connotative language creates many harsh images of her experiences in a life of poverty, a life of poverty. By using these images, Parker is capable of causing the damage. reader to feel many emotions and forces the reader to question his or her own stereotypes of the poor. With the use of connotative language and the ability to arouse emotion, Parker successfully compels the reader to examine his or her. thoughts and beliefs on who the poor are.
The population of Los Angeles continues to grow each day because people perceive that the opportunities will improve their economic and social well-being. Most of them get good jobs manufacturing, business and the government giving them the ability to provide for themselves and their children. Those who are not lucky enough do not realise their goals and depend on the government and the society for basic needs. The effort of the city and the government to house the homeless cannot take the pressure of the rising number of the homeless without the support of the society. Los Angeles in the United State’s largest urban and has the highest number of homeless people making the task of housing its population next to impossible without participation
To begin, I support the author’s argument that people think they know what’s best for the homeless when they
Julia Alvarez. “Snow”. Portable Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Lauren G, Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 8th ed. Boston, Wadsworth 2011. 75-76. Print
captive by a sheath of frost, as were the glacial branches that scraped at my windows, begging to get in. It is indeed the coldest year I can remember, with winds like barbs that caught and pulled at my skin. People ceaselessly searched for warmth, but my family found that this year, the warmth was searching for us.