No Place to Call Home by Lee Stringer
Life in the Underworld by Charles Dickens
Please answer the following questions:
1) Tell us about the narrator's everyday life as it is described in Lee Stringer's extract from the novel No Place to Call Home.
2) Thousands of people are sleeping rough on big city streets every day and night. In your view, is it true that we accept homelessness if we do nothing about it? Do we have a responsibility? Or is the problem something social workers can solve? Is it a state or community issue? (Blueprint B p. 81)
3) Summarise the text extract Life in the Underworld in your own words.
4) Just like Oliver Twist in Charles Dickens' text, many children in Africa are orphans - due to the AIDS epidemic. Give us some convincing arguments to make people donate money for this course, to help them build an orphanage, a school etc. (Blueprint B p. 82)
1. Well, he is having a damn hard time. He is homeless and as many others he does drugs. His life is described as very boring, though everything he does is "digging around in his hole" and operating time by looking for things etc. But one day he is finding this little, old, torn up pen, which he is starting to carry around. After some time he starts writing in an old book thrown in the alley. He writes about a guy and his friend, who was HIV-positive and eventually takes some pills and dies. His story, which is called "No place to call home" is really good and well written and he is getting it published in the "Street news". Time goes and eventually he has stopped doing drugs and his everyday life now consists of writing.
SvaraRadera2. Oh gosh that’s a hard question. I guess most people accepts homelessness though they know nothing about it. They are having a good life and are not burden their minds with horrible facts. I don’t blame people for not thinking about homeless people. Yet, I do believe that the responsibility lies partly on us, though we, through demonstrating and by giving money would be able to give those homeless people a fair life. For example, the residents could raise money to build an institution funded by our taxes, so the homeless can have access to shelter and activities to eliminate boredom, and therefore also exclude drugs from their lives. I also think that a big part of the responsibility lies on our politicians, who have the power to change. I say as I have been saying for a long time, nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something, and we don’t need to devote our lives, trying to improve the life of a homeless, but we can fill one's stomach by just putting some insignificant money for us, in to their pocket and save their day. I always do!
3. Wow, what a story! Well, Oliver Twist, the name of a little orphan boy, is living his life in the countryside. One day, he decides to walk his way to London, where he meets a Jewish man called Fagin. Fagin seems to be a pleasant man and offers Oliver a bed. The day after, Oliver wakes up seeing the old man observing some expensive jewelry from a box, when the man turns rather mad, holding up a knife, threatening to murder Oliver for noticing him. Luckily, Fagin was just joking with Oliver and soon he is presented to two other young boys living with Fagin. They are showing off what they have gotten at work that day. One of the boys are showing a couple of pocket-books and the other one some wipes, which Fagin is certainly observing. Afterwards, a rather uncommon game begins and the two boys are in training of stealing Fagin’s things, laying in different places in his outfit. After playing the game a lot of times, two young ladies are coming to see the young gentlemen. They are staying for a long time but eventually the two young gentlemen and the two ladies are leaving. Afterwards, Fagin is starting to teach Oliver how to purloin his handkerchief out of his pocket, which Oliver is doing rather smoothly.
4. Millions of children in Africa are orphans living in the slums with no food or love. For them, surviving the day is equal with trying to fight cancer. Their parents are dead and with only a few years of life experience they have to act as an adult. Look at your child, imagine him or her as a skeletal with no writing language or common knowledge. Imagine the fair of a three year old child not even knowing the name of herself. Those children’s parents are dead due to the AIDS epidemic but the children are still alive and can be rescued. The children are our future, and letting them die slowly in horrific conditions are inhuman. But have you thought about that for just 5 dollars you can actually rescue one of these children and give him or her shelter and love. Many people has devoted their lives to help building up Africa. With 5, for you, insignificant dollars, you are helping those children to a future. You are helping the world to build up a future.
This was more like a commercial but I hope it works!
1) A normal day in Lee Stringer's life (almost forgot his name there for a bit, and typed Lee Harvey Oswald LOL) consists of hustle enough money to buy some crack, so that he can sit in his "home" beneath Central Station -NYC- and take a hit. Except one day, when he starts writing in an old composition book, then his life changes. It turns out he has a liking (and probably also a talent) for writing, and somehow, he manages to get his writings published in the newspaper.
SvaraRadera2) My personal opinion is that both the state and community - and other people, should take this issue more seriously. It is a problem having thousands of people sleeping on the streets. Not only because of the environmental issue or that the crimes rates rise, but also because the individuals sleeping on the streets - probably - didn't choose that way of life. I assume that most of the homeless people was put in that situation by some traumatic event like loosing his or her job or family, and taking to the bottle as a way out of the pain. Social workers, psychiatrists, rehabilitation and other measures must be taken to decrease the number of homeless people, but it seems the state fails to see this, or uses inadequate methods.
3) The extract "Life in the Underworld" is an extract from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, and in this particular extract we see how Oliver is sort of tricked into becoming a thief. He trusts Fagin - the Jew - and the boys, and fails to see that they are training their pickpocketing skills. Dickens is very good at portraying Oliver Twist as an innocent child who fails to see the evil in the world. And I think that many people can associate with this phenomenon as a thing in their own lives, maybe it's pier pressure, maybe it's something else, someone telling you to do something that you don't completely understand. Then later you find out that this was either illegal, or just a bad thing to do.
4) I feel that the issue of starving kids in Africa is getting a little "old" and that many people don't really care anymore. It's a shame since the money is needed more now than ever, especially in the northern parts like Somalia, where war is a common thing. I'd like to see more donations of money and clothes to the benefit of African children, but I also think that money should be spent on rebuilding the African countries. If they could get an industry running they would soon take Asias place as a manufacturing continent, and we'd see "Made in Africa" on every piece of clothing and such. This would help their economy really much, and they would be able to build their own welfare.
1. There were three things he did every day. Hustle up money, buy stuff and get high. But that all changed when he found a pencil and started writing.
SvaraRadera2. To be honest, I havn't really thought about it much.. I mean, of course I feel sorry for them but you don't usually see homeless people here in Höör. Accepting it when doing nothing? Yeah.. I guess, in a way. But the money you give them usually end up at the hands of their dealers though, right? The social workers probably do a much better job at it, might give them a chance to get a steady job or something? Some sort of a soup kitchen could do the trick too?
3. Oliver Twist, an orphan, leaves the countryside and makes his way to London where he meets Fagin, an old man, who offers Oliver a place to stay. Two other boys, who are well trained in the art of picking pockets, seem to be living at Fagin too. Fagin later starts teaching Oliver how to pick pockets and tells him he'll be a great man if he listens to the other two boys' advice.
4. Yeah.. cause that's real easy, isn't it? WE'RE NOT ALL AS AWESOME AS SANDRA!
AIDS kills 8200 people a day, some leaving their children behind without anyone to take care of them. Every day is a battle for these kids, but you could change their lives forever just by giving away time, money (and it doesn't take a lot either) or stuff you don't need to organizations who sell them and give the money to charity. Having heard about the incident at the Red cross you're probably skeptic whether or not the money actually will go to people who need it. Unfortunately I can't tell you you're wrong, but what if it DOES save the life of a child? Isn't that worth a try?
+ You'll get all warm and fuzzy inside by helping people.
So folks, go spend your money on getting warm and fuzzy inside today! (By helping people.. not by buying a blanket or whatever.. x____x)
Yeah.. that sucked. *Big fake smile*
SvaraRadera1) His life was not like a dance on roses, as a homeless man with a strong addiction for drugs he was extremly bored at the life he lived. He wanted something else, something more to live for. Suddenly one day, he found a pen that he decided to keep and after a while he started to write in an old book that he also found. The things he wrote about was about his old friend who was HIV-positive and died from taking some pills. The whole story got very popular and was published in the Street news, that made also himself stop doing drugs and continued with the writing.
SvaraRadera2) I guess that the most people already have accept it. In big city's there are a lot of homeless who didn't handle their finances when they had the chance to. Or they where born on the street, they did not got the chance to grow up under a safe roof. But there are also people who do not accept the homeless, they don't understand why they are living on the street. I guess that I am one of them, you could say that sweden is pretty empty on homeless people. So it is not an ordinary thing to be living on the street or to be in need to chase food.
People who walks throught or passing by a homeless man and do nothing to help, is he or she mean? Im not sure if I could answer that question on a right way, is there a right way? Me myself can not do something for everyone on the earth. Maybe it is enough to help the woman who is sitting there with her child in here arms? Maybe it is enough for you to help the man who is missing one leg. Everyone knows what they want to do and how they wanna help. Only a little coin can do so much for them.
Everyone has the responsebility to help on one or another way I believe.
I think it is a state issue, how we all can help the homeless people from suffering. We could save money from something and built or do something for them. So they could feel safe, satisfied and happier with their life.
3. Oliver Twist is living in the countryside and suddenly one day he decides to go to London. In London he meets Fagin, a Jewish man. Fagin offered Oliver to stay the night and when he woked up he saw the man looking at an expensive jewelry from a box. The man went mad and started to threat Oliver with a knife. What he did not know was that Fagin just joked with him. After he got introduced to two young men who where living with the man, they were showing him what they got earlier on work that day. Then they started a uncommon game, the two young men are training to steal different things in Fagin's clothes. After a while the two men leaves with each an woman and Fagin starts to teach OIiver how to steal his handkerchief from his pocket,
and Oliver is quite good at it.
4) There are so many children who lives in the slums in africa, all by theirself. Their parents are dead which forced them to grow up and make it on their own. To collect food for their own survival and looking for shelter is a daily task for them. Their parents is already dead because of the AIDS epidemic, which also kills 8200 people everyday according to jenny. Could you try to imagine how you would felt in their position? To feel so weak and helpless in such a cruel world is nobody worth. It is wrong on so many levels and I believe that we can not realize their major problems until we actually have seen them by ourself.
So for just 5 dollars you can rescue a whole human being. You can make sure that he or she got some food and a shelter for the night. You can also make sure that the school is open for every kid. Do you wanna help them to built their future? For them to go in school and learn things, survive a day with food and water or to stop working just so they can survive. What is 5 dollars for you honestly? For them, it is everything and for you nothing.
Just the thought of it scares me.
1. Well, Lee Stringer did mostly the same thing everyday. He gets up to find enough money to buy some drugs. Then he sitts in his little small house made out of cardboards under Grand Central Station and gets high, until one day when he discovers a pencil and he starts to write.
SvaraRadera2. Hm... I don't know much about how the lifes are for those who are homeless but if I were in that situation I would be horrified. I would be scared all the time for being raped, mugged or killed and then it would be nice to have someone helping you out. I don't really know how much we do for the homeless at the moment, but if you walk in for example Malmö you see homeless people everywere so we clearly don't do enough. I think that as many as can should help and that we shouldn't take this problem to easly. The social workers can't do this alone and I think that they could probubly use some help, from both the state and the community.
3. Oliver Twist, who is an orphan, leaves the countryside for London were he meets a jewish man called Fagin. Fagin takes Oliver in to his home and there he meets the Dodger and Charley Bates. One morning Oliver sees Fagin playing with some beautiful jewelleries and fagin gets really upset when he finds out that Oliver seen him. He explains that they are his, but tha fact is that he has stolen them. He then tries to teach Oliver how to pick pockets with the help of the Dodger and Bates. Poor Oliver doesn't have a clue what's going on behind his back.
4. Imagine yourself homeless, alone, hungry and cold. It is not a great feeling, right? Well, these are feelings that millions of children in Africa feel everyday. Due to AIDS many parents is being taken from there children forcing them to look after them selfs. It's a battle of life and death. But you can help. By donatining money, you can save lifes. You can help the organisations build orphanes and schools. You can help them give food and medicine. You can help the children get the love and safety they are in titled to. You don't have to give much, but every dollar counts. Toghter we can make a diffrence.
(Very corny I know, but I could at least give it a try! :P)
1)
SvaraRaderaHis everyday life basicly contains searching for stuff to sell (hustling), purchasing drugs and getting high aswell as just chilling around in his "home". With other words, a walk on pins and needles.
2)
It depends on what country we're talking about. A homeless in Sweden seldom accepted all the help they were given, and if they accepted it they missused it in a really bad manner. Most people here have themselves to blame for ending up on the streets. However, in other countries such as those with higher economic issues, I can agree that they often doesn't deserve it. In most cases they just had poor luck. It's however hard for us to aid those people, even though there are different kinds of charity groups concerning this. Something I find really great!
3)
The story is about a young orphan named Oliver Twist. Newly arrived at London, he falls asleep and wakes up as Fagin enters the room.
Fagin introduces Oliver to two guys who are Fagin's 'thieves' or what you might call them. Oliver is taught how to pickpocket, not knowing better due to his age he thinks Fagin is right about it being nothing bad.
4)
You do not need to put yourself in the seat of the African orphans to realise how terrible they must feel. Simply by hearing the word, it clings in the back of your mind that they are youngsters straying along the streets and won't reach beyond the age of 20. What if you could change this awful course they were brought upon as they were born into this world?
Donating money aids people who never had a choice but to feel pain and suffering.
You can change their faith by just donating the small amount of 100SEK, or even less! For them, it's a huge difference whilst it might just mean little to you.
Imagine being a hero. By donating money, you'll become that hero. They might not know you by name, but for always and ever, they'll be thankful.
1. Lee Stringer was a poor man who lived in a narrow crawl space under Grand Central Station. His life seems very boring because he does the same things everyday. He is using drugs aswell. He has found a pen which he uses to get his pipe working so he can get high. One day he sat there digging around in his hole with nothing to smoke and nohing to do, but he has his pen and think that he can distract himself for a little while by writing. He can really feel the adrenaline rushing by writing. The story is about two men which life is almost the same as his and his friends life, or more like their relationship wich each other. Then he got his story published and that led to him having a regular column in the magazine and then he had the writing bug. He life started to settle.
SvaraRadera2. Almost everywhere you can find someone who is homeless. It is very sad when I think about but I guess that it doesn't cross my mind very often. The reason why they are homeless is different from man to man, some can help it but some can't. If we help them by giving them money you probably want them to use the money on right things and not on drugs, cigarettes or alcohol. I don't think it is a problem social workers can solve, i believe that it is up to one and another to do what they feel like, helping or not. But like Patrik said there are different kinds of charity groups concerning this, and i also think that is good!
3. An orphan, Oliver, leaves the countryside and walks his way to London. In London he meets Fagin, a jewish man. Oliver is offered to stay one night and when he wakes up in the morning he sees Fagin looking at some beautiful jeweleries. He starts to threatening Oliver with a knife, but he is only joking. He intruduces two guys who are his thieves. Fagin tells Oliver that the things is his but he has actually stolen it. Oliver doesn't know what's waiting him.
4. Many many children in Africa are orphans, they have almost no money and can't afford medical help. It has been a problem for so long and I think that people are getting tired of hearing it all the time, which is really sad. By just donating some money the can build up a whole life. We can donate clothes which don't fit us anymore, but I think that of people don't know how to do they don't care about doing it. If you decide to help by donating, they show you such a gratefulness, and you get really touched by the fact that you can make those poor souls continue live with some hope.
Im sorry for my late answers, but my computer has no been working the last week. Hope it's not too late!