Use the passage from Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives to answer the question. “Caught in the street by the truant officer, or by the agents of the Children’s Societies, peddling, perhaps, or begging, to help out the family resources, he runs the risk of being sent to a reformatory, where contact with vicious boys older than himself soon develop the latent possibilities for evil that lie hidden in him. . . . The risk of the reformatory is too great. What is done in the end is to let him take chances—with the chances all against him. The result is the rough young savage, familiar from the street.” – Jacob Riis In a paragraph of 3–5 sentences, analyze what Riis is saying about the lives of young boys in New York City’s slums. (4 points)
In this passage, Jacob Riis is highlighting the harsh and challenging lives of young boys in New York City's slums. He describes how these boys engage in activities like peddling or begging to assist their families financially, but in doing so, they risk being caught by truant officers or children's societies. If caught, they face the possibility of being sent to reformatories, where they may come into contact with older, delinquent boys that have the potential to lead them astray. Riis argues that the risk of reformatories is too severe, so instead, the boys are left to take their chances on the streets, with little hope for a better future. As a result, these boys become rough, savage individuals, as they navigate the difficult circumstances of their slum lives.
In this passage, Jacob Riis highlights the precarious lives of young boys in New York City's slums. He emphasizes how these boys engage in activities like peddling or begging in order to support their families. However, their attempts at survival often put them at risk of being caught by truant officers or children's societies, potentially leading to their placement in reformatories. Riis suggests that these reformatories, where they encounter older, more delinquent boys, only amplify the latent tendencies for evil that already exist within them. Ultimately, due to the perceived risks associated with the reformatory system, these boys are left to face the harsh realities of the streets, which culminate in their transformation into rough and unsophisticated individuals.
In this passage from Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives, Riis conveys the bleak reality of young boys living in New York City's slums. Riis discusses the precarious situation in which these boys find themselves, caught between poverty and the need to support their families. When confronted by truant officers or children's societies, these boys face the threat of being sent to a reformatory, where they are likely to come into contact with older, more delinquent boys, leading to the development of their own latent criminal tendencies. Riis proposes that due to the risks associated with the reformatory system, these young boys are left to take their chances on the streets, ultimately resulting in their transformation into hardened street savages. Thus, Riis underscores the profound challenges and limitations faced by young boys residing in the slums of New York City.
