Month: January 2016

Reading Summary 2

lbohanan1 on

Margaret-MortonOmbraLuceLLC_tunnel_john_cats

In Margaret Morton’s The Tunnel, life of the people who live in the tunnel is described by many of the inhabitants to give an idea of what it is like to live there and what living there has done for them. A man named Bernard explained the life that he goes through in a way that he does not seem homeless at all. He has a home even if the common person would not live there. He lives there and lives a life that does not perceive his homelessness as a problem. Rather than a problem, Bernard is simply trying to find himself, and being isolated in the tunnel is helping him do so. Bob’s story is another example of the tunnel being an opportunity to find oneself. Bob was a traveler and very free spirited, he gave it all up and moved to the tunnel. While living in the tunnel, he was able to find out who he really was. A guy named Manny was able to escape his dysfunctional family by going to the tunnel. The tunnel is used by many to escape from hard home life situations. Ria’s story points out how it is more difficult for women than man because they can be easily taken advantage of. All of these people who live in the tunnel, one way or another, have reasons to be there.

The tunnel is an opportunity for many to start over or retreat from the unwanted lifestyle that they live. The majority of the people in Margaret Morton’s The Tunnel, mention the freedom that they experienced by not having to pay rent or any other bills they had before living in the tunnel. This freedom takes away stress that the average person carries. The tunnel can easily be named as an escape route for many people who have problems in their life. Countless people who live in the tunnel have had a difficult time growing up which has created their desire to get away from the life that they once had above ground. Grief from losses and traumatizing events, such as abuse, has driven them away from their old lives. A lot of people who live in the tunnels left their families behind to start over underground. The people who live in the tunnel make their own space into a home using anything that they can find that is interesting to them. Inhabitants of the tunnel work together sometimes to help provide for others who also live in the tunnel. Normal life is possible in the tunnel, there are even married couples like Cathy and Joe who live in their home underground together. Many of the people who live in the tunnel find ways to make money. For instance, the people collect cans and look out for money laying around carnivals or other tourist spots. A lot of people lived on the streets before they moved to the tunnel, so the tunnel became a home for them because it is a big change from no shelter on the streets of a city. Also, a bunch of people could support themselves before the tunnel, but they spent their money on alcohol and other substances that led them to the underground lifestyle. Not all of the people who live in the tunnel are drug addicted or alcoholics though, there are some who live there just because they have no other place to go.

The lives of the inhabitants of the tunnel might not be as fancy as ours, but they manage to make it day by day with what they have. They are able to survive and continue living even if it is not in the best conditions. Margaret Morton uses these stories and photographs to show the importance of this space to this specific group of people.

About Me

lbohanan1 on

IMG_1768IMG_2871IMG_1744

Lydia Ashelyn Bohanan is my full name. I am from Covington, Georgia, and graduated from Eastside High school. This is my first year at Georgia State and I absolutely love it. I am the baby of my family. I have two older sisters and two half siblings. My major is Early Childhood Education, and I plan to complete my degree at Georgia State. I plan to become a teacher in an elementary school, and then later on become a principal.

Reading Summary One

lbohanan1 on

Homeless_in_LA

Irina Nersessova’s “Tapestry Of Space: Domestic Architecture And Underground Communities In Margaret Morton’s Photography Of A Forgotten New York” analyzes Margaret Morton’s photographs and perception of the homeless in New York and makes a connection between urban space and one’s behavior. This article emphasizes the true meaning of being homeless, what can come of it, and what can drive you to it. It shows the real reasons behind being homeless and the reality of living as a homeless person.

Having a home, no matter what type of home it is, is necessary to humans because shelter is a necessity in one’s life. Not having a stable home is the true idea behind being homeless, because they have a home even though it is not consistent. Not owning a home does not make a person homeless, because many people who have a place to live do not own a home. Instead, it is the fragility and susceptibility of a home that makes the person living there homeless. Nersessova points out the relationship between human identity and space when commenting on how the homeless put their items together in an organized manner to try to form a sense of identity.  The way the homeless work to survive in their way of living helps them gain more self understanding. One man that Morton interviewed was able to focus more on himself with being away from all of the worldly things of the city. Life in the tunnel is portrayed as a place a person can find themselves rather than solely as a symbol of poverty. Another man that was interviewed used the tunnel as his safe place because the average person was afraid to enter because of how dark the tunnel is. Nersessova highlights the fact that Morton clarifies that life in the tunnel is not ideal by letting an interviewee explain how it can take over a person’s life. The people who live in the tunnel gain a specific bond with the city; because of the knowledge they had of the city before living in the tunnel, they already know how to get supplies such as food. For many residents of the tunnel, it has become their home because it is too chaotic above ground in the city. Not only is the tunnel a place to live, but it also provides opportunity for creativity for the people who live there. Not all of the people who lived in the tunnel that were interviewed by Morton stayed in the tunnel. Some of the people who once lived in the tunnel left to try again above ground. The tunnel is not glamorous by all means, but it seems to provide opportunities, such as finding yourself, that may not be easily found somewhere else.

There is also a relationship between space and social justice. The architecture of the city can prevent certain classes of people from being included, and it can segregate different types of people. Psychogeography in the city has created social classes and the division between those people in each class. It is created from urban space’s influence on the people’s behavior. Capitalism in the city has forced the homeless out of sight in order to attract more consumers. Even with being pushed out of sight, the homeless still manage to find a way to live in the system that has failed them.

The main arguments made by Nersessova in this analysis that i picked up on are that homeless people are very similar to people who have stable homes, and that the tunnel is not all bad, good does come from it. Homeless people have the same needs, everybody needs to get away to find themselves sometimes. People just have different ways of going about this.