Amazing Grace

A detailed Summary of Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, written by Jonathan Kozol.

At first glance, it seems that the author is going to take us on yet another journalistic ride through the land of the poor. Similar to the ones you read about, or hear in the news. However, this is not the case; the real underlying theme is what is society doing about the plight of the poor? Kozol uses the views of children to emphasize that these reports on living conditions are not being obtained by "disgruntled" adults, but from innocent, learning children whose only misfortune was being born to this particular area.

The author takes us from the seventh richest congressional district in the nation (being E 59th Street in New York City) to the poorest in the nation. A mere eighteen-minute ride by subway to the South Bronx, to a little place called Mott Haven; where the median family income for the 48000 residents is only $7,600. An area known for crack-cocaine and heroin; prostitution; poor hospital care, where one-quarter of new mothers tested in obstetric wards are HIV positive; and the police say is the deadliest precinct in the city.

Kozol writes about the trials and tribulations of everyday "normal" life for the children and people who live here. Normal for them how

Another factor involved is air pollution. With an incinerator located right in the middle of the South Bronx, it is no wonder why so many children have asthma. "According to a zip code breakdown of New York shown ... by Dr. Robert Massad ... asthma statewide in New York is 1.8 per 1000 people. In New York City, it is 2.5 per 1000, but in Mott Haven the rate rises to 6.0" (p. 171). To compound matters of health, the buildings that house these people are both rat infested and in such need of repair that they are borderline condemned. Most of the elevators do not work thus forcing its inhabitants to utilize the stairs which is very time consuming and energy draining; especially for the elderly. Once these people go outside, they are met with an extraordinary amount of drugs and violence and find it much safer to just stay inside their homes.

Education is also in a severe predicament in this area. With major overcrowding, students find themselves trying to learn while jammed into spaces not intended as classrooms, such as stair landings, gymnasiums, bathrooms and even coat closets. These large class sizes make it difficult for students to concentrate on their work and often result in increased disciplinary problems. Teachers therefore find that their effectiveness as a teacher diminishes exponentially as they spend more time trying to maintain order in an overcrowded classroom. Another hindrance to the students' educational process is the physical conditions of these schools and the insufficient supply of proper materials. Most of the students are using outdated textbooks and do not have access to the kinds of materials or equipment that would enhance the learning experience and/or create the opportunity to explore subjects such as science. As for the physical attributes, these school buildings are in horrible condition with "barrels...filling up with rain in several rooms... Green fungus molds... growing in the corners of the room in which the guidance counselor met kids who were depressed." (p. 151-152)

As we read further, we find that there are multitudes of problems inherent within the South Bronx. One of the only ways of determining where these problems stem from is by looking at the possible reasons as to why they exist. Drugs, violence, AIDS infections, are not new, however this community differs from others in the United States. One of the main differences is that the City has grouped all of these people together and created a "ghetto" of the lowest income families. Albeit the government helped get these people off the streets and out of homeless shelters and provided them with rent-free housing, they then decided to put them all together in one location. The City has effectively segregated them from the rest of the population and is telling them that they are not worthy of living with the rest of the population.

Qualified teachers are also in dire need. "...students seldom see a certified teacher but are instructed, for the most part, b

Some common words found in the essay are:
South Bronx, Medical Center, Mott Haven, Normal Living, Jonathan Kozol, Lincoln Bronx-Lebanon, Battery Park, Bronx AIDS, York City, south bronx, Robert Massad, fifth floor, fourth floor, patients fifth floor, help people, poor hospital, mott haven, york city, patients fifth, rest population, neighborhood children speak, people south bronx, poor hospital care, drugs violence,

Approximate Word count = 2017
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English