Argument - The author Johnathan Kozol argues that the culture and environment of New York City in particular is one where children have a hard time living in. He compels this argument in the form of a story, in which Cliffe, shows him around the city and tells him stories. He sets the scene of this reading by giving facts about New York City which include "In 1991, 84 people, more than half of whom were 21 or younger, were murdered in precinct". The way he delivers this message of the harsh realities of the City is from the perspective of a child, in which he shares his experiences living in the city.
When walking with Cliffe, the first story that stood out to me was he pointed to the stuffed animals that were attached to the branch of a tree at a park. When Johnathan asks him why they are there, Cliffe dismisses the questions and proceeds to tell him that he saw a boy get shot at that spot once. He then offers Johnathan a cookie. This is important because it showed the attitude that Cliffe had to this subject. The fact he was able to brush over that fact so quickly, and to say it in not a sad voice, shows he is desensitized to these type of things. That highlights the main problem, that so many of these kids grew up in these environments that these behaviors become "normal" to them. It connects to the previous reading when talking about the culture of power, this is the culture that many people grow up in. So, it is easy to create a disconnect within people who would be scared to talk about these topics, and people who have grown up in them their whole lives.
Comments - This reading highlighted to me the vast difference between the environment I grew up in versus the environment many people grew up in as children. I grew up in a relatively safe neighborhood, and was privleged enough to have parents with good finically stable jobs. Growing up, I was able to walk out of my house at night and walk down to the dollar store to buy candy and other things. It is clear that most people do not live in that reality. It is important to expand our understanding and think outside of the environments that other people grew up in, to better understand how people act and why they act that way. The communities in which people lived in plays a huge part in how they act outside of those communities. It is when we understand these communities that we can understand why people act how they do.
HyperLinks - https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/childhood-depression.page
I like how at the end you connected it to your life and showed the difference.
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out how casual Cliffie was when talking about those traumatic events, and I think that his experiences have definitely shaped him into a strong individual.
ReplyDeleteThe note on the indifference of Cliffie is one I'm glad you made because it's something that stuck out to me as well. Children are often like this, casually telling stories about any place, person or thing they see, but the juxtaposition with the stories you might hear from your cousin or younger sibling with Cliffie's story of a boy being shot there is a huge moment for revealing just how desensitized these kids are to violence and death.
ReplyDeleteCliffie's story was heartbreaking for sure. It was really sad how desensitized growing up in that neighborhood has made him, and I'm sure many other children are in a similar position.
ReplyDeleteit's unfortunate about Cliffe
ReplyDeleteThis reading also showed me the differences because like you I grew up somewhere I could walk around and go anywhere without my parents having to worry.
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