I remember the first time I heard about mole people. The only thing I knew about them was that it was homeless people living in the tunnels. I never thought of it to be a place where a community can be formed. Reading this article I can say that I am still a little bit guilty when it comes to picturing a homeless person in my mind. I automatically think of just a messy person no job always begging. Being able to read about a homeless man that has a job and volunteers makes me think that for some living in the tunnels or not traditional places can be a choice for some people. In the article the major said something about light which got me thinking about a law and order SVU case where they briefly talked about the mole people and some of the changes they go through with their bodies and their behaviors. It amazes me that people I would never expect to live in the tunnels live there. The fact that people who use to be teachers and nurses live in these tunnels just shows me how I can not judge a book by its cover. The major talks a little bit about living above the tunnels and not feeling accepted by society which I wouldn't have thought would be something that motivates people to leave society and join the tunnels community. Reading about the mole people makes me realize how elaborate it is and how people can become a community.
This ethnography really moved me while and after reading it. First off, I’m surprised that there is an actual community of homeless people that live levels and levels underground. I have always thought that homeless people are homeless because they don’t have a job and don’t know how to properly seek government help or use their money on drugs or such things. This still didn’t make sense to me how so many people can seek government help for shelter while others can’t in the United States. Jennifer Toth shows us that there are deeper reasons to why people actually choose to live underground. Many people give up on society. They give up trying to fit in with everyone and go on to live away from them with others who have experienced similar things. It’s interesting to read that the mayor told Jennifer that the people aboveground still won’t leave them alone even though they are underground and distanced themselves from them. He refers to the people aboveground talking about how they live and that it’s normal. Here we see that society gave them a hard time to fit in and after distancing themselves from them, they are after them by talking about them and trying to push them to leave what they call home. What also seemed to be interesting is the fact that the person who too Jennifer to meet the mayor and the people living underground, became more and more happier as he proceeded level after level underground. It is interesting to see his happiness increase as he gets further from the aboveground society. It seems like the “mole people” work together as a society more effectively than the society above ground. At first I was worried about how the children grow up and how they feel about living underground. Then to hear that all the children in the community are treated as if they are all of the community’s children is quite impressive. I wouldn’t have thought that this kind of structure can be possible to these homeless people.
I believe the most interesting aspect of this ethnography was the mayor’s attitude towards his lifestyle, and the circumstances surrounding his choice to decent to the tunnels. While it is a generally held view that homeless people have fallen on some hard times either through poor decision or just plain bad circumstances, the mayor implies that he has made the conscious decision to leave the main stream community, or the life above. While many homeless people try very hard to turn their circumstances around and get back on their feet and rejoin society, the mayor seems to work just as hard to set up his ideal society below. The general attitude of leaving the mainstream is indicative of the mole people not as homeless but of people who have just chosen to live a different life secluded from the world we live in; a true subculture. The aspect that I had a hard time grappling with was the dependency upon the culture that the underground community was choosing to disenfranchise from. As stated in paragraph about the mail coming in and out, many of the people receive checks from the government however mayor holds a view that the government is so evil. I also question the possible flow of information in and out of the underground community. While censoring members from revealing their location makes sense, the fact that the community members’ mail is reviewed before receiving it, and their lack of time above ground presses the question of the members being kept in the dark. All in all, I agree with the author’s main thesis. While this underground community surely does the best with what little it has, it is very sad to see such poverty and bitter disenfranchisement; however the authors’ inclusion of the bits of light are very nice to see. For instance the nurse’s insistence for members to seek above ground medical attention in extreme cases, or the importance put on a well-rounded education makes the reader a slight belief that the children might have a bright future. Although it is very hard to actually believe that the children are better off in this situation.
The rumors of the Mole people seems to get to almost everybody in New York City. I first heard about them as a kid in elementary school. I remember taking the train after I found out about the Mole people and staring out the window the whole ride in an attempt to spot one of them. I was never successful but I still believed. I grew out of believing in the Mole people and kept on living life. This article really taught me some new ideas that I had not thought of. First of all, I would of never thought that the Mole people would be a group that included members of the working class. I always believed that the Mole people were just homeless people who were trying to avoid the cold or bad weather. I did not think that there would be people who actually chose to live there. The idea of these working citizens choosing to live underground, in the dark, with rats and dirt just doesn’t sit well with me. Why would you make the decision of living in such a place when you can live above ground in an apartment or house? Also, the fact that they supposedly have many children living with them is disturbing. I do not believe that a child should be brought up in such an environment. With all the rats and germs that can be found in train tunnels, this seems like a very unhealthy home for a child. This article also made me think about the negative stereotypes that we have for the homeless. I am guilty of looking at the homeless with a face of disgust and trying to avoid them. However, I do know that not all of them chose this way of living or had any control over the course that their lives took. A lot of people judge the homeless based on assumptions, without knowing their backstory and how they got to where they are today.
I remember the first time I heard about mole people. The only thing I knew about them was that it was homeless people living in the tunnels. I never thought of it to be a place where a community can be formed. Reading this article I can say that I am still a little bit guilty when it comes to picturing a homeless person in my mind. I automatically think of just a messy person no job always begging. Being able to read about a homeless man that has a job and volunteers makes me think that for some living in the tunnels or not traditional places can be a choice for some people. In the article the major said something about light which got me thinking about a law and order SVU case where they briefly talked about the mole people and some of the changes they go through with their bodies and their behaviors. It amazes me that people I would never expect to live in the tunnels live there. The fact that people who use to be teachers and nurses live in these tunnels just shows me how I can not judge a book by its cover. The major talks a little bit about living above the tunnels and not feeling accepted by society which I wouldn't have thought would be something that motivates people to leave society and join the tunnels community. Reading about the mole people makes me realize how elaborate it is and how people can become a community.
ReplyDeleteThis ethnography really moved me while and after reading it. First off, I’m surprised that there is an actual community of homeless people that live levels and levels underground. I have always thought that homeless people are homeless because they don’t have a job and don’t know how to properly seek government help or use their money on drugs or such things. This still didn’t make sense to me how so many people can seek government help for shelter while others can’t in the United States.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Toth shows us that there are deeper reasons to why people actually choose to live underground. Many people give up on society. They give up trying to fit in with everyone and go on to live away from them with others who have experienced similar things. It’s interesting to read that the mayor told Jennifer that the people aboveground still won’t leave them alone even though they are underground and distanced themselves from them. He refers to the people aboveground talking about how they live and that it’s normal. Here we see that society gave them a hard time to fit in and after distancing themselves from them, they are after them by talking about them and trying to push them to leave what they call home. What also seemed to be interesting is the fact that the person who too Jennifer to meet the mayor and the people living underground, became more and more happier as he proceeded level after level underground. It is interesting to see his happiness increase as he gets further from the aboveground society.
It seems like the “mole people” work together as a society more effectively than the society above ground. At first I was worried about how the children grow up and how they feel about living underground. Then to hear that all the children in the community are treated as if they are all of the community’s children is quite impressive. I wouldn’t have thought that this kind of structure can be possible to these homeless people.
I believe the most interesting aspect of this ethnography was the mayor’s attitude towards his lifestyle, and the circumstances surrounding his choice to decent to the tunnels. While it is a generally held view that homeless people have fallen on some hard times either through poor decision or just plain bad circumstances, the mayor implies that he has made the conscious decision to leave the main stream community, or the life above. While many homeless people try very hard to turn their circumstances around and get back on their feet and rejoin society, the mayor seems to work just as hard to set up his ideal society below.
ReplyDeleteThe general attitude of leaving the mainstream is indicative of the mole people not as homeless but of people who have just chosen to live a different life secluded from the world we live in; a true subculture. The aspect that I had a hard time grappling with was the dependency upon the culture that the underground community was choosing to disenfranchise from. As stated in paragraph about the mail coming in and out, many of the people receive checks from the government however mayor holds a view that the government is so evil.
I also question the possible flow of information in and out of the underground community. While censoring members from revealing their location makes sense, the fact that the community members’ mail is reviewed before receiving it, and their lack of time above ground presses the question of the members being kept in the dark.
All in all, I agree with the author’s main thesis. While this underground community surely does the best with what little it has, it is very sad to see such poverty and bitter disenfranchisement; however the authors’ inclusion of the bits of light are very nice to see. For instance the nurse’s insistence for members to seek above ground medical attention in extreme cases, or the importance put on a well-rounded education makes the reader a slight belief that the children might have a bright future. Although it is very hard to actually believe that the children are better off in this situation.
The rumors of the Mole people seems to get to almost everybody in New York City. I first heard about them as a kid in elementary school. I remember taking the train after I found out about the Mole people and staring out the window the whole ride in an attempt to spot one of them. I was never successful but I still believed. I grew out of believing in the Mole people and kept on living life. This article really taught me some new ideas that I had not thought of. First of all, I would of never thought that the Mole people would be a group that included members of the working class. I always believed that the Mole people were just homeless people who were trying to avoid the cold or bad weather. I did not think that there would be people who actually chose to live there. The idea of these working citizens choosing to live underground, in the dark, with rats and dirt just doesn’t sit well with me. Why would you make the decision of living in such a place when you can live above ground in an apartment or house? Also, the fact that they supposedly have many children living with them is disturbing. I do not believe that a child should be brought up in such an environment. With all the rats and germs that can be found in train tunnels, this seems like a very unhealthy home for a child. This article also made me think about the negative stereotypes that we have for the homeless. I am guilty of looking at the homeless with a face of disgust and trying to avoid them. However, I do know that not all of them chose this way of living or had any control over the course that their lives took. A lot of people judge the homeless based on assumptions, without knowing their backstory and how they got to where they are today.
ReplyDelete