Analization of There are no Children Here

A detailed Summary of Analization of There are no Children Here

"You do not fully know a man until you have walked around in his shoes" Social isolation due to economical disadvantages is the criteria of which Alex Kotlowitz novel There Are No Children Here is based upon. It is a true story in which free lance journalist, Kotlowitz followed the lives of two children, there mother and the rest of their siblings growing up in government project home in Chicago's west side ghetto. The main characters of the story are Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers and their mother La Joe and how they survive the hardship and struggles of an impoverished life and non existence to the rest of the world. The first thing that La Joe mentions to Kotlowitz when she agrees to let him follow and live in their footsteps is the following comment, "But you know, there are no children here," she told him. "They've seen too much to be children.", and it is here that we receive the title of this sentimental and heart felt novel.

The predicament that the people of this socially separated, violence reigning, horrendous poverty stricken urban community saw on a daily basis gave them no hope for the future. The people learned to become accustomed to and accept that there was little they could do to change the views of the uppe

Pharoah the youngest of the two brothers was a more dependent and self aware child who took advantage of the protection that his brother has given to him. He is flared along the literary theme of the loss of innocence and tries to use optimism to hold on to his childhood as long as possible. He is the most promising of the two boys as it is he who is the most successful in school and his ability to stay away from the wrong crowds. He was a daydreamer and frequently lost himself in his thoughts. It was these visions and happy thoughts that took him to places where there was no ugliness, hate, or prejudice around him. He once saw a rainbow and tried to convince his brother to help him find the end of it where a pot of gold would be found and would save the from there troubles and despair and move them out of the ghetto. He cried when the rainbow disappeared and with it part of his dreams were lost. His leadership qualities consisted of never giving up that dream or vision and to achieve your goals no matter what may be in your way.

The outcome of the coalition was not a very positive thing as Lafeyette the eldest of the boys had gone into a life of crime and was caught stealing and seen smoking marijuana. He had broken up the bond of the coalition at which part of their vision was destroyed. La Joe made a desperate attempt to gather her children and move them out of the area after Lafeyette's first encounter with the law and even had an apartment waiting for her, but it turned out to be a scam and was just another array of false hope to darken the mission of the Rivers family. So sadly the mission to improve the lives of the people of the Henry Horner Homes or Chicago's west side projects was not successful in it first attempt. This helped the family or coalition to see that they only way that they can actually improve their lives is to help themselves and to not be so dependent on the handouts that were provided to them by the government. If they wanted to make a change in their lives it had to start with them and that it was ok to trust people because not everyone was horrible.

Lafeyette is the oldest of the two boys that this documentation is based upon and it is he who feels he has to protect and look out for the well being of the family. His fat

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lafeyette Pharoah, La Joe, Jimmie Lee, Horner Homes, Alex Kotlowitz, Homes Chicago's, , la joe, Pharoah Rivers, lafeyette pharoah, Henry Horner, henry horner homes, improve lives, neighborhood children, chicago's west, families children, set example, lives children, rest world, false hope,

Approximate Word count = 1537
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels