gilbertog3wg: Final Draft

Gilberto Castillo

Ms. Jager

Social Studies

8 November 2011

New Light in a Void of Hope

Disease, pollution, and disparity for some, happiness and hope for all. These are

the characteristics Slums share globally as they are often poor, crowded, and polluted, though they are

the home for the rural immigrants. And even though Slum`s are places of starvation and disease, in

reality they are places of new opportunities, brotherhood, and a relatively cheap living. But even in

their disparity a new hope and a new light are enough to cause poor rural immigrants to travel to

slums.

For many disparity is not a driving force, the idea of earning more money and gaining new

opportunities is the driving force that allows people to live in slums. Meaning that ""People move not

because they will to be better off, they move because they expect to be better off, and this expectation

pushes people from where they are." Basically it is the thoughts and dreams and the expectation to be

better off that drives many to move to, live in, and strive in Slums. Though an area of dreams is nothing

without the support of your fellow man.

Often the prosperous futures many slum dewwelars acquire are founded with the brotherhood of

the community. One man refused to let his community be destroyed as " He speaks of the pride of the

community spirit and the tolerance between the slum`s many different religious groups." This man

talks how if the slum is torn down, the sense of brotherhood the community has,would be torn down

too. As Slums were built around people with the same goal, and if they were to beremoved all the

people would see each others as strangers even enemies. And even though many of the slum residents

are poor, often "poor" is all you need to live in a slum.

Even cheap land and cheap supplies can add up to a cheap living based around legitimate work.

Many along with this slum dewwelar share the view that "Slum life is cheap[..]With less then a dollar

you can survive." Meaning that you can survive on what little you get and even if you earn a dollar

anywhere else it is worthless, in a slum however you can base your life around that income.

In conclusion, Slums may vary in location but not in spirit. And while Slum`s are often places

of starvation and disease, are in reality places of new opportunities, brotherhood, and a relatively

cheap living. So Slums are not places of disparity but people who are trying to improve their lives

from what they had before. So in reality while we worry on how to improve the world and pity those

who do not get the chance, compared to slum residents who really should be pitied.

Work Cited

Blythe, Nils. “Mumbai`s slums life poses world problems” BBC News Online. 29 September 2011.

Eaves, Elisabeth. “ Two Billion Slum Dwellers.” 6 November 2006. 29 September 2011.

Fink, Sheri. “ Cities of the Poor I, Life in the Slums(Kenya).” Public Radio International: The World.

“Urbanization.” World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. 29 September 2011.

<http://worldgeography.abc-clio.com/>

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