History 108 December 6, 2017 How the Other Half Lives Riis, Jacob A. Bedford/ St. Martins 1996 274pp The Author Jacob A. Riis immigrated to the United States at the age of 21, who is born Danish immigrants. He grew up to be a photo journalist, news paper reporter and most notably a pioneer in the field of social reform in a fascinating manner. He also became to be one of the most famous “muckrakers”. By the late 1880’s Riis had started to photograph the interiors and exteriors of the New York slums. With those photographs Riis used to dramatize his books and lectured, those were used in How the Other Half Lives, which helped make the book popular. The Theme The theme of this book imposes poverty and how it affects the people and makes their lives miserable. …show more content…
As Riis stated in the introduction of the book “the half that was on top cared little for the struggles and less for the fate of those who were underneath, so long as it was able to hold them there keep its own seat”(pg.1). According to Riis a vast majority of this happened in the past. It was still a case I New York City which had only recently experienced a large population of the poor moving in. the question Riis mused to ask about the book is what are you going to do about it. Going through the nest of the introduction Riis goes to suggest, solutions in how the American people and government of New York, could actually do something about it. He goes on to suggest to the employers, the need to build houses for their poverty stricken workers and in hopes the tenements be destroyed along with the sad distressing live they came with. Critical