The New York Times series, "Invisible Child: Girl in Shadows", written by Andrea Elliott, clearly shows the severe impact that poverty has on a child's lifestyle. The whole article discusses many different aspects of Dasani's life (the 11 year-old girl who lives in a shelter with her many other siblings and her parents), all of which show the negative impact of a low income living condition and life style on a young girl. For example, the article describes Dasani's school as a "poor kids' version of Laguardia Arts", where budget cuts and lack of after school enrichment only contribute to its not so great education program. The passage also describes Dasani's behavioral issues, and her anger management as she encounters other kids at school who push her buttons to a point where she can't help but let her temper land her in the principal's office. She is clearly affected by the stressful money problems within her household, causing her to lash out even at the small taunts. Lastly, the article uses shocking pictures to vividly display how horrible the living conditions are. The pictures show holes in the walls and cracks in the floors. It shows the ripped mattresses that the children are expected to sleep on. And one image shows a baby being bathed in what appears to be the kind of sink you will find in dirty park bathroom. All these examples are described in detail in the article, further proving that poverty is unfathomable, and in no way shape or form is okay for any child to have to deal with and deal with the aftermath of.
The author, Andrea Elliott, uses a lot of vivid imagery to show just how horrible the effects of poverty are on a person's daily lifestyle. By using these images, Elliott wants readers to feel the pain, and harsh stab of reality that these people living in poverty feel every day. Elliott wants us to sympathize, and put ourselves in their shoes, hopefully empowering us to try to help make those unfortunate people's lives better. For example, the article describes a picture saying, "To the left of the door, beneath a decrepit sink where Baby Lele is bathed, the wall has rotted through, leaving a long, dark gap where mice congregate." Reading that makes me feel sick, and I can't even begin to imagine living every day with those conditions. Seeing an image with this description makes me think about my own life, and it makes me compare my living to theirs. I feel guilty, that I take so much for granted when these people would just love access to a house without a mouse infestation. The author does an excellent job of putting images into readers’ minds, and using visuals to make them feel for the subjects of the article, and sympathize with them.
After reading this article, I feel a lot more exposed to the reality of poverty. I now feel empowered to make change, and not let any other child suffer from the horrible aftermath of not having a substantial income as a parent. My views on poverty used to be similar, but nowhere near as intense and passionate. The article really showed me how change needs to take place, because my heart was breaking as I read how this little 11 year-old goes about her life. However, the article leaves me with many questions, the main one being, what can we as a country do to fix this growing problem of poverty? How can we prevent children and families from suffering from lack of income? Reading about Dasani really has left an impact on me, and I'm sure will do so to many others. Dasani teaches us that she manages, but not necessarily happily. We need to help her go through life happy, and help her and all other children in her situation be able to get themselves on the right track to overcome their family's money issues, and become successful in their lives.
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