Spreading the Warm Fuzzies
Sep. 13th, 2006 09:30 pmI'm reading "How the Other Half Lives" by Jacob Riis for my US History 1900-1945 class and we have to come up with reading questions to ask the class tomorrow morning. This is what I have so far:
1. How common was prostitution in New York when this book was being written?
Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and gooey inside?
Have I gone over this before? I can't remember. All I really think about this book was that it was written for shock value - not really to do anything about the problems the poor were having in the late 19th century in New York. All this guy talks about is how dirty and crowded and crappy these people's lives were, kind of the way you tell a morbid murder story - for shock and awe and "I'm glad that I don't live that way, now let me go home to my comfy chair and hot cocoa." It's sensational journalism just to make a buck or two (which, apparently, this author did). I guess he does go into some ideas for reform, but it's the last two chapters out of 25 that he finally gets to a solution.
In other news, I now have a Facebook, but don't really have any idea what to do with it. I mostly use this stuff (Facebook, MySpace) to communicate with my siblings since they eschew the traditional e-mail and phone calls (which is fine with me, since I'm not much of a phone talker anyway). I post pictures, I decorate it and then... I just let it sit until something comes along that I really care about (retarded bulletin posts do not count).
I just got the craving to watch the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" with Gregory Peck. Good thing my roommate has it or I'd be hosed. I reeeeeeeally like that book (and the movie ain't half bad neither - yes I am an English major, why do you ask?) That was incredibly random.
Okay, back to the book(s).
Love from,
Jenny Wildcat
"Even though you're gone, love will still live on...the feeling is so strong, my only love" "You've reached the deepest part, of the secret in my heart, I've known it from the start" -- something I pulled off a profile on AMV.org and that I wanted to share with the world (kinda brings a tear to your eye and a song to your heart, doesn't it? ^_^ if you know the source, let me know, 'cause I'm kinda stupid that way)
1. How common was prostitution in New York when this book was being written?
Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and gooey inside?
Have I gone over this before? I can't remember. All I really think about this book was that it was written for shock value - not really to do anything about the problems the poor were having in the late 19th century in New York. All this guy talks about is how dirty and crowded and crappy these people's lives were, kind of the way you tell a morbid murder story - for shock and awe and "I'm glad that I don't live that way, now let me go home to my comfy chair and hot cocoa." It's sensational journalism just to make a buck or two (which, apparently, this author did). I guess he does go into some ideas for reform, but it's the last two chapters out of 25 that he finally gets to a solution.
In other news, I now have a Facebook, but don't really have any idea what to do with it. I mostly use this stuff (Facebook, MySpace) to communicate with my siblings since they eschew the traditional e-mail and phone calls (which is fine with me, since I'm not much of a phone talker anyway). I post pictures, I decorate it and then... I just let it sit until something comes along that I really care about (retarded bulletin posts do not count).
I just got the craving to watch the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" with Gregory Peck. Good thing my roommate has it or I'd be hosed. I reeeeeeeally like that book (and the movie ain't half bad neither - yes I am an English major, why do you ask?) That was incredibly random.
Okay, back to the book(s).
Love from,
Jenny Wildcat
"Even though you're gone, love will still live on...the feeling is so strong, my only love" "You've reached the deepest part, of the secret in my heart, I've known it from the start" -- something I pulled off a profile on AMV.org and that I wanted to share with the world (kinda brings a tear to your eye and a song to your heart, doesn't it? ^_^ if you know the source, let me know, 'cause I'm kinda stupid that way)