Book Analysis Essay on Fire in the Ashes

Introduction

Fire in the Ashes is a book by Jonathan Kozol that explores the inequalities that have grappled the American society. According to the book, there are systematic injustices that the families trapped in poverty get to experience in the so-called 'land of the free.' The book focuses on children whose social class prevents them from reaching their potential. The book, which was first released in 2012, came at a time when America was starting to recover from the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, it was an excellent time to discuss the inequality in America and how it is preventing social mobility. More Americans are grappling with the problem of poverty and foreclosure, which happened to affect specific groups such as the black community. In particular, it discusses some diversity and social injustices against minority groups that need to be addressed. The injustices and inequalities are taking a heavy toll on the nation in both economic and moral terms, and for that reason, it is essential to review the book in greater detail.

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The book begins with an account of Martinique. Martinique was a homeless shelter located in midtown New York. The shelter, which was closed in the late 1980s, used to accommodate the homeless, mainly women and children in dilapidated conditions, combined with a state of lawlessness that permanently scarred the children who lived there. As the book proceeds, the author takes a particular focus on various children who lived in the establishment. Eric is one of the boys, whose mother, Vicky, was emotionally fragile. Eric ended up killing himself via a self-inflicted wound from a shotgun. The other boy featured in the book is called Christopher. Christopher's father, Pietro, lives in Martinique, along with his mother and children. Christopher eventually ended up in crime thanks to panhandling, which served as a source of food for him and the rest of his siblings. He served time and somehow turned his life around by getting a job at a gym. However, his childhood trauma comes back to haunt him as he ends up overdosing on heroin and dies. The book does not just focus on tragic stories as the author also talks about survivors who managed to get out and make something out of themselves due to the intervention and caring nature of the people around them. Children such as Leonardo, Pineapple were lucky to have supporting families that enabled them to achieve their dreams and ambitions. Kozol uses the cases of these groups of children to show the reader how different circumstances, such as family support, could determine whether a child succeeds or fails.

Although the setting of the book is in New York, one can find some correlation between the circumstances described in the book, and the poverty in Georgia. For one, there is a significant income disparity in Georgia. While a section of the population is living in splendor and luxury, the other majority as struggling to make ends meet. The rich in New York live in Manhattan, yet in the same neighborhood, the poverty-stricken people in New York resided. In Georgia, the situation is not very different as cities such as Atlanta providing residence to both the wealthy and the poor communities in the town. However, there also some significant differences between the situation described in the book and the circumstances in Georgia. For instance, New York faces a bigger housing problem than New Jersey. The cost of housing in New York is very high compared to that of Georgia. That means that is why most of the low-income families in New York ended up in a homeless shelter since they could not afford the high cost of housing. Also, Georgia has a lower population density than New York, which means they face less congestion than in the book. The situation described by the author is one where several people have been crammed into as little space as possible, and there is nowhere else to go. In such conditions, limited resources such as food and water become limited.

The book's depiction of homelessness in New York was not surprising. However, I was surprised by the number of people that end up dead due to the bad economic situation. Based on the book, it is almost like the poor people have a higher chance of dying than of getting out of poverty. That is shocking because America is one of the countries with the lowest rates of poverty. Also, the country has built a reputation of being the land of the free, where everyone is free to reach their dreams within the legal means that are available to them. Every American is given an equal opportunity to achieve their dreams and goals.

Nevertheless, I was surprised to find out that the American dream is not available to everyone. Not every child has the opportunity to reach their ambitions. For the children described in the book, the American dream is just another slogan that the government uses to manipulate the masses while ignoring the needs of people like them. They lack access to basic needs such as proper education, healthcare, shelter, food, and clothing, which are essential for social mobility. The fact that some of these children managed to hold it together and achieve the same, and an even better level of success as some other children from well off backgrounds is impressive.

The key figures in the story display some critical strengths in response to their situation. For example, Christopher was a resilient boy despite the outcome of his life. Even when things were tough, and his family could not get food, he resorted to begging to feed him and his family. Christopher made some mistakes and ended up in a life of crime. At that point, it would have been easier for him just to give up and continue in the life of crime, but he showed resilience by getting a job at the gym, which he used to pay his bills. However, I found Leonardo's mother to be the most hardworking and supportive character in the story. Despite being poor and a single parent, she still managed to get her son through college. She also supported his comedy career to the point that Leonardo became a successful stand-up comedian who can support himself. Then there is Pineapple, whom the system tried to undermine, but his intellectual brilliance enabled her to shine through the darkest moments of her life to the point of being the first in her family and neighborhood to go to college. All these people had one thing in common. They both had a family that they either depended on or depended on them. Christopher's sisters depended on him for food. Leonardo's mother knew that his son's future depended on her. Pineapple also had her family, especially her father and mother, who were forced to return to Guatemala. All these characters drew strength from their families, who supported them in one way or another to succeed in their endeavors.

As professionals involved in addressing such issues on a micro and macro level, several things that can be done to help these people's situations. One of the ways in through advocacy. People in these situations lack the voice to express their needs and demands to the government. Your work should be to mediate between the poor people and the social agency or the government, to them to attend to the needs of the poor people. One can also help with there basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, by liaising with social services agencies, international aid organizations, and community agencies. On a macro-level, we can work to use political action and community organizations to bring about changes in social policies. That can be achieved by working directly with elected officials or join some committees. In the book, quite a good number of characters have been affected by issues involving drug abuse, criminal activities, unprotected, and unsafe sex. A professional involved in the issue can conduct community education to educate these groups about poverty, safe sex, crime, and the effects of abusing drugs. In most cases, we fail to take action because we prioritize other issues over the needs of such groups.

Our field teaches us to care about the needs of other people. Our values and ethics require us to handle the affairs of other people like our own. They emphasize compassion and humanity. The book tries to educate the masses to heed to the needs of the poor. To show concern and take part in the eradication of poverty. It tries to inspire the millions of Americans that are living better lives to become advocates for the poor people. The author also wants to spark a national debate about the best way of assisting the children that are living in poverty.

Furthermore, one of our class visions supports family unity. Most of the characters in the book did not have to take the story of Eric, for example. Their circumstances kept separating him from his family. Also, there is a Pineapple whose parents were sent back to Guatemala hence permanently tearing the family apart. Most of these children do not have a choice in that matter. They are victims of circumstances and should not have to go through such experiences. Even worse, some of these experiences are as a result of the social injustices from the society in which they live.

The book talks about social injustices, such as segregation and racism. One only needs to look at the story of Jeremy, who, despite his intellectual brilliance, was always isolated from the rest of the children because he asked more questions than he was supposed to. Also, a good number of these low-income families are from minority communities in America. They have been subjected to generations of racism and segregation, which has prevented the families from having social mobility and instead kept them on the bottom of society. Their children are segregated and denied access to the same level of education as their counterparts.

Reading the book has shown another side of America that I never knew existed. For most of us, we are living in the best country in the world. A country of opportunities that is built on the fundamental principles of equality. A country where everyone can set out to achieve their dreams if they want. However, this book paints a different reality. The reality is that these people do not have a choice but to accept the things that they have been given. Poor education, inadequate healthcare, lack of employment opportunities, the high price of housing are all things that these people have to accept. After reading the book, I would undoubtedly want to dedicate a more significant part of my community work to attend to the needs of these people. They are being ignored by their fellow citizens and even the government, which is supposed to listen to them.

Despite its concentration on the lack of hope, the book certainly makes for a good read, and I would recommend it to another professional. It makes a solid argument by using real-life cases hence enabling the reader to get a picture of the situation on the ground. The author shows both sides of the coin by telling the stories of the children than failed and those that succeeded. For a person seeking to have more knowledge about American society, this is a good read since most authors only talk about the lives of the middle and low-class Americans. The only problem is that it does not highlight the progress that has been made to alleviate the lives of the low class.