Make A Difference In The US

Money— sweeter than honey but oh so destructive. It facilitates a man’s life, while a lack of it imprisons him in the streets of penury. It raises his social status, while an absence of it leaves him unnoticed. It gives him an aura of superiority and importance among others, while a deficiency of it makes him worthless in society’s eyes. Considering these two roads, most do not take more than a second to decide to chase riches.

Many children will be born in poor regions and low income areas around the world and may not ever be presented with the opportunity for a decent education. Sherman Alexie brings this fact to the reader’s attention on a personal level in his short story “Superman and Me”. This story follows a young Indian boy into his struggle of illiteracy and acceptance from his peers and friends. Alexie was able to focus the reader’s attention and convey much of his feelings into his written words because the story was about him and his own personal experiences. “Superman and Me” projects a message to the reader, that when faced with adversity, and when all odds are against you, willpower and determination can overcome even the toughest of obstacles.

For example, one of the slum’s young women, Manju is on track to become the first female graduate from Annawadi. Another can be seen in Abdul’s business of recycling and how it is helping improve his own economic conditions. Or through a number of the younger Annawadi kids going to these prop up free or “bridge” schools, despite them not being of the highest quality. While this may not seem to be rather huge events, or some may view them in isolation of each other, it at least demonstrates a slight trend of upward mobility and a subjective increase in quality of life for a number of Annawadi’s civilians. These smaller trends would perhaps distinguish Annawadi from India’s true poor citizens who were born in to poverty and have seen almost or perhaps no opportunity to escape the situation of which they were born in. This can be related back to the idea of development being a widening of peoples capabilities or opportunities, and that Annawadi may not be considered truly poor in comparison inside India due to a number of it’s people finding or having the smallest openings to exploit scenarios where they have been able to improve their life

My intended audience would be my teacher, classmates, friends and family. My audience would be young and the elderly of different backgrounds. Who can testify with their own ideas and experiences. I imagine my audience would do good with the facts I present and the perspectives of Andrew Braaksma. They will then come to understand that making sacrifices can ensure a better future. That understanding Andrew’s goal is to reread his article as many times as possible to make a clearer meaning of what opportunities you desire out of life. As well as share experiences, facts and ideas amongst one another to come to an agreement.

When we think of our favorite celebrities and leaders, it is hard to imagine them having a life that is nothing but prosperous. However, many celebrities overcame many trials and tribulations before they become famous and rich. These individuals had proven that even if you are born into a ‘bad situation’ you have the potential to pull yourself out of poverty. These actors, musicians, TV hosts and writers all grew up in poor and poverty stricken circumstances. Many of them struggled to obtain proper shelter and during their formative years. Education along with support and motivation are the ultimate ways to transform a life from poverty to prosperity. A well-rounded education will pave the way for a brighter future.

The differences between the rich and poor in India are like the opposite sides of a coin. The poor of India are mistreated and abused. Their homes are surrounded by trash and sewage and are very likely to be flooded, deathly hot and severely polluted. Nearly 25% of the population in India is under the poverty line. The families in the slums of India only care about surviving and marriage. Balram describes their relationship with the rich as “The rich are always one step ahead of us-aren’t they?” (Adiga 230). Balram means that he felt that the rich were always taking advantage of him and his family’s ability to work and he wanted to get ahead of the rich. The rich are blissfully unaware of the

I wrote my found poem based on Junior’s struggle of poverty and being poor. In the first stanza, I explain how Junior is poor with the quote, “I came from poor people who came from poor people who came from poor people, all the way back to the first poor people” (Alexie 11). This shows how it is not Junior’s fault that he is poor, but also that it is not any Indian’s fault either. In the second stanza, I explain how Junior attempts to fit in. “To be something other than poor” (11). This line shows that in order for Junior wants to fit in or belong at Reardan, he can’t show his poverty, because he won’t be judged by “having a little money” or by “being middle class”.

Katherine Boo, a staff writer at The New Yorker and former reporter and editor at The Washington Post, has worked for over two decades “reporting within poor communities, considering how societies distribute opportunity and how individuals get out of poverty” (Boo 257). In November 2007, she and her husband, an Indian citizen, moved from the United States to India to study a group of slum dwellers in Annawadi, Mumbai (Boo 249). While studying this group of individuals in India from 2007 to 2011, Boo’s goal was to learn why the individuals within this slum have not banded together against a common enemy in order to gain upward mobility. She illustrates several common issues of developing nations including: corruption, education, the mismanagement of foreign aid, and the possibility for social mobility in her book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers. In this literary work, Boo accurately portrays the acts of corruption and as well as how corruption has entered the sphere of education, which is typically an individual’s only avenue to social mobility and success in that area. She argues that instead of rising up against a higher power, the individuals within the slum fight against one another to get a leg up on their competition, even if it keeps them in the same social class.

The education system also has power upon the lower class society, as they make decisions about who is given opportunities. The worker in the boarding school tells Briski that the children have low chances to get enrolled as they are children of sex workers. Other than their family reputation and status in society, their physical appearance and talents depend on how they are represented. Briski mentions that Puja is from a family of prostitutes but it’s difficult to interpret because of her well groomed appearance. This confirms that wider society judges the appearance of individuals to give them a presentable identity. Also, Avijit is given the opportunity to represent India in Amsterdam because of his artistic talents, whereas the non-talented kids are set back in the country looking for other minor opportunities. However, despite the daily challenges and hardships the children and women face in the Brothels of Calcutta, they value their relationships with family and friends. The children are grateful for Briski’s attempt to help them benefit from education and escape the chaotic lifestyle of the Brothel, even if some of them didn’t benefit from this opportunity. Briski’s mission to help the lower class society suggests how much she values the connection she developed with the children over the years. Therefore, Zana Briski’s documentary, Born into Brothels, portrays the tough life the

These children are defrauded not just of an education, but also of the ability to be socially mobile. Researchers of the American Psychological Association found that education level directly correlates with socioeconomic status. A lack of education undermines any individual’s true capability, preventing them from surpassing their academic limitations. Potential important figures and world leaders may never come to be if not given the tools to become what they can become. The next generation’s Einsteins and Gandhis will not exemplify their prowesses if never given the rudiments

This idea is represented heavily throughout the film by following the two brothers Jamal and Salim through childhood into adulthood. The brothers grew up in the same environment, with the same circumstances, and same social expectations, yet each grew up to live two completely different lives, both representative of their respective idea of success. These kids were born having drawn the short straw, it would be expected from them to live out their whole lives within the Slums, and remain impoverished. Simply due to the fact that these were the constraints placed on society; if you grew up poor, you would not be able to move up in the social hierarchy due to a lack of education and skill sets for better monetary professions. This can be seen and explained by the country India coming to life with excitement on the premier of Jamal’s final question from ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’.

Unlike many people he treated business as a game and did not stress over his failures and did not praise his success. As a result, Siddhartha was able to go from “rags to riches.” Over time however, Hesse writes, “Gradually, along with his growing riches, Siddhartha himself acquired some of the characteristics of the ordinary people, some of their childishness and some of their anxiety” (77). Though Siddhartha envied them for the one thing he lacked, the sense of importance with which they lived their lives.

To conclude the paper Adiga talks about the haves are the bright side of the India and the have-nots are the dark side of the India. The haves are longing for the life of the have-nots and vice

“Mrs Dobie, in my heart I am a very rich man. My measly mere possessions are nothing more than a means to an end.” Replied Gandhi,

“According to me, the economic constitution of India, and for the matter of that of the world, should be such that no one under it should suffer from want of food and clothing. In other words, everybody should be able to get sufficient work to enable him to make the two ends meet. And, this ideal can be universally realized only if the means of production of elementary necessaries of life remain under the control of the masses. These should be freely available to all as God 's air and water are, or ought to be; they should not be made a vehicle of traffic for the exploitation of