Living in Chains
The chapter from Amazing
Grace by Kozol emphasizes the premise that people in poverty are trapped in
chains. Reading this chapter, I recognized
that some of these chains are self-inflicted while other chains are in place
secondary to external circumstances. The
people we read about in this chapter are all in a place of poverty, however,
they have fallen to this place for a variety of reasons.
One reason for this dire existence is drug use. The author describes a situation where heroin
is prevalent. The people in this
community who use heroin are chained to this drug’s addictive traits. They use heroin and are unable to participate
in activities of daily living that the majority of society deems “normal”. These heroin addicts use the drug and cannot
do much else. They are chained to this daemon
and often cannot break free and ultimately die from the dire effects of the drug. While this seems like an extrinsic chain, it
is the person’s choice to start this drug in the first place.
Another reason for being chained in poverty is health
issues. The author writes about a woman
who marries a man and has a child. The man
is not faithful and passes along HIV to the woman. At the same time, she is diagnosed with
cancer. Because of her failing health,
she is unable to hold two jobs and ends up dependent on state finances in
poverty. This woman is chained to
poverty because of her failing health.
She cannot break free. She
struggles through life and recognizes that she will die in this space.
I have not personally felt the effects of poverty to this extent. When I was young I remember
having food stamps and shopping at a specific market. My parents always did their best to make sure my
sister and I had food, shelter, and clothing. Reading this chapter made me aware of how dire
circumstances of poverty can be. At the same time, it was really special to read about the 7-year-old boy
and how matter-of-fact his world was. He walked through his environment without sadness as this
world was all he knew. His innocence and kindness made me realize how self-awareness and helping
others improved his perspective on the world in which he lives.
The author Jonathan Kozol speaks a lot about the health issues in these impoverished areas of the country. Its awful that, with these horrible health conditions, the hospitals are still not allotted proper resources to properly care for and handle the amount of people that need care. Some people spoke about having to wait for days in the hospitals waiting room with other sick and infected people. Others mention arriving at their hospital rooms and having to clean and dress their own beds. The main hospital in the area has also lost its accreditation for a number of serious reasons including being responsible for the deaths of several patients.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was a single mom for a while and received financial help like food Stamps. It was definitely hard. But, after reading this, I realized I didn't actually have it that bad.
ReplyDeleteSadly the only resources offered in this community were condoms and fresh needles. How about drug treatment facilities and hospitals that actually can supply medicine. Reading about the conditions of the hospitals was mindblowing that they are even allowed to operate.
ReplyDeleteThe innocence and numbing emotional state the little boy expressed broke my heart. Hearing about his mother's struggles and how she wasn't an addict, but stricken with HIV and cancer are all unfortunate circumstances how a family would need to rely on government assistance. My father was on SSI and due to his health issues also struggled to provide a living for himself, so this reading definitely hit a nerve. Thank you for sharing your own experience with your post as some of us can truly relate.
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