By: Deborah Hopkinson
Page: 35 of 114
In the journal that I chose, many different issues arise that are deemed debatable or opinionated. Because this book is focused on the living conditions of twentieth century immigrants in New York, there are a lot of themes and issues that causes the reader to hesitate about a certain thing. For instance, the idea of America being the most amazing and lucrative place in that time, is debatable. In the book, the immigrants were overjoyed and filled with hope at the tought of being in America, the land of the free; but, in reality, immigrants were unknowingly getting themselves into a situation that they probably wouldn't be able to get out of. The tenements in which they had to live in were the worst places that any person could live in, but still, immigrants were forced to live there allowing landlords to make plenty oof money.
The the living situation of these immigrants seems to be the most prominent in my book. Before coming to America, they were not living in cramped up rooms with no bathroom facilities or space to move around. In their countries, they were lacking food and water but in America, their needs were greatly affrct because of the false hope that they had coming into America. Concerning this issue, I'd have to say that the idea of America being a land of freedom and a place where dreams can come through, is debatable. The tenements are like prisons for immigrants in which Americans can meke money off of because many immigrants could not find jobs. How can one chase his/her's dream if their means of doing so is compromised?
No comments:
Post a Comment