The idea of wealthy individuals touring through the lives of individuals who are poor and capturing what it is like to be poor is notorious in American History. Jacobs Riis and James Agree are two interesting authors with different backgrounds, but shared similar motives. The two authors bring the struggled of American poverty to life by inserting themselves among poor families and wrote about their lives. In his book “How the Other Half Lives”, Riis reports on the lives of many ethnic and demographic groups in New York as well as their struggles within a societal system that promotes inequality. Meanwhile, James Agree in his book Cotton Tenants which was written as a magazine article based on similar theme as Riis except his story took place in the south. Agree wrote about three families which were tenants and sharecropper in Hale County, Alabama. He records on how the three families navigate through an unfair agriculture system where the poor were giving land to grow crops for a share profits with their landlords or occupy lands own by the landlords. While utilizing photographic and various techniques, both books shared similar theme and paint an image for their audience of a societal system poor individuals have to go against in order to survive. Although, both authors didn’t covered the lives of Blacks African American in great details, this paper will compare the little information given in both literatures on the lives of Black African Americans on how they lives in the North and the South. Black African American were not covered in substantial amount of detail in both Riis and Agree’s literature for various reasons. To begin with, Riis covered the lives of Black African American to demonstrate how poorly they were treated and force to pay higher rant than everyone else (XIII).In regard to what Riis wrote about Black African American, one can argued Riis did not interact with this particular group of individuals as he did with the other ethnic groups, he wrote about in his book. Meanwhile, Agree specifically quote “In the interest of keeping the subject as clear as possible the main body of this article is devoted to a study of cotton tenancy in terms of white families only. But one tenant in three is a Negro. There is no space here to do him justice, nor shall that be attempted” (203). Though, Blacks were in worst condition then the three families Agree covered, he choose not to write to much about the Blacks for this books would be about racial inequality, than agriculture injustice system. An addition, both Riis and Agree exploited the condition Black African American faced with, in order to push for social reforms.
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Riis and Agree villainies the landlords has the one to blame for the injustice social class and who oppressed the poor including the Black African American. For example, Riis compared the landlords to the “Czar of all the Russia” when dealing with Blacks tenants (XIII). In the meantime, Agree mentioned landlords are hash “unconscious hypocrisy” (212) and how they took joy on cheating blacks on profits they made (207). Both authors castigated landlords for their greediness in exploiting the poor and especially Black African American who suffered worst treatment in the hands of the landlords than any other groups. Though, both authors illustrated the suffering of Blacks African American in the hands of landlords, they also showed the grit of Blacks African American to endure adversity and still stand strong. Riis went on to mention Blacks made the best out of what they have, their worship service was filled and live by a principles that “has no room for repining” (XIII). In line of Riis statement, Agree mentioned Blacks were “rich in emotion and grace and almost supernaturally powerfully as beings” (209). Later Agree even went as far has raising the notion that Black were “a superior race” (210). It is likely with the very little coverage both authors had on the lives of Black American, the only things they are able to mention are the superficial facts they examined. However it is fascinating that both authors share identical prospective on the lives of Black African
Riis and Agree villainies the landlords has the one to blame for the injustice social class and who oppressed the poor including the Black African American. For example, Riis compared the landlords to the “Czar of all the Russia” when dealing with Blacks tenants (XIII). In the meantime, Agree mentioned landlords are hash “unconscious hypocrisy” (212) and how they took joy on cheating blacks on profits they made (207). Both authors castigated landlords for their greediness in exploiting the poor and especially Black African American who suffered worst treatment in the hands of the landlords than any other groups. Though, both authors illustrated the suffering of Blacks African American in the hands of landlords, they also showed the grit of Blacks African American to endure adversity and still stand strong. Riis went on to mention Blacks made the best out of what they have, their worship service was filled and live by a principles that “has no room for repining” (XIII). In line of Riis statement, Agree mentioned Blacks were “rich in emotion and grace and almost supernaturally powerfully as beings” (209). Later Agree even went as far has raising the notion that Black were “a superior race” (210). It is likely with the very little coverage both authors had on the lives of Black American, the only things they are able to mention are the superficial facts they examined. However it is fascinating that both authors share identical prospective on the lives of Black African