"Maggie" Blog Post Four

While reading "Maggie," I was thinking about her inevitable fate and how it relates to society today and the "fate" of people who grow up in the projects, live below the poverty line, or in very poor areas of the country. I couldn't help but wonder if Maggie was subjected to such a horrible life style and eventual sad demise simply because she didn't have any other choice. I would like to think that, yes, if Maggie had worked hard and tried a little bit more, she would have been able to break free from the slums, leave behind her dysfunctional family and create change within her life. However, it seems as though Maggie's situation, or horrible home life project her on a path that can only lead to destruction. Maggie is unable to see the phony that Pete really is because she is only looking for something even slightly better than what she has. She cannot control her mother's drunken outrages and the complete destruction of her home. She also cannot control the fact that she lacks the money or resources to break free from her tenement house and try to move up in society. In relation to America today and the poverty that exists within our country, inner city students and kids have to succeed within our nation or children who have grown up in very poor areas of the country are parallel with Maggie because of their lack of resources and chance to succeed. Although there are few rare cases about the "child who broke free from the projects, got an education, and became the CEO of a well known company," the reality is that the majority of children and people living in poverty stay their for the entirety of their lives. Citizens that live below the poverty line lack the same things that Maggie lacked within "Maggie." There is no education, economic and employment opportunities are almost non existent, a stable family life is rare, and they grow up in areas where crime rates are high and people are just trying to get by. Without any of these resources, it is evident that just "working hard" won't allow most poor people to find any sort of redemption or freedom from their struggles. The picture below is of the projects in Camden, NJ-20 minutes outside of where I grew up. If you can't tell, there are people sleeping in cardboard boxes beside the run down houses. Looking at this picture, and after reading Maggie, I feel as though luck and a lot of chance plays into the ability for those suffering from extreme poverty to thrive. How can we expect anyone living under these condition, and suffering from the same things that Maggie lacked, to avoid the same sort of demise that Maggie did?