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Kozol's Amazing Grace Analysis

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Kozol’s Amazing Grace describes his story of going to South Bronx, New York, which is known to be one of the poorest and segregated cities in our country. Most of the people live in the worst conditions there, but this is their daily life style and this is what is considered to be the norm for these people. Kozol explains through this experience that even though these people live within these devastating places and circumstances, deep down these people are devoted and caring individuals to one another. He explains that these poor people in this city defy those stereotypical assumptions made on social media and show the capacity of love, faith, and hope in society. They take poverty as something that made them tougher as a person then being controlled by it and that’s what Kozol wants us to realize in his story. Kozol goes about his experience in South Bronx by individual faces within the community instead of …show more content…

Gladwell explained that “Black Americans are much likely to stay in place and much less likely than whites to engage in contextual mobility” (Gladwell, 2015,p.3). Since South Bronx is mostly African Americans and Hispanics, not much contextual mobility occurs within this community and that results in not many changes in circumstances or opportunities for these people. The only move they do proceed in doing is referred to as “churning” as Gladwell puts it and only do so if the house is unlivable. These people don’t seek for a better lifestyle, but they are forced into this better lifestyle.The South Bronx proves churning because if change occurs within this city it is minor and replicates the same setting with no major change in opportunities to better or make a difference in their lives. Without contextual mobility, the community will always be known as poor and there won’t be a move that is big enough to change the circumstances that occur

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