Have you ever realized how lucky you really are when you are driving under a
bridge or in poor part of town and you see a homeless person begging for work or
food, or do you just drive by and act as though you never saw the horrible site
and go on about your buisness? Just like in the book "Les Miserables"
Fantine becomes homeless to take care of her daughter, who she gae to the
Thenardiers, for what she thought was a better life. Everywhere you go,
everwhere you look, there is always someone less fortunate than you, some places
more than others. Homeless people come from all walks of life. Anyone can become
homeless, you could be born to a rich or just well-off family and end up under a
bridge across town. Have you ever wondered, what are some situations homeless
people find themselves in every day liek Fantine did? Homeless people aren't as
fortunate as people with roofs over their heads. THey have to search up and down
to find a place to sleep where they won't be awaken by a police officer who
doesn't like where they are. But regardless of who these people are, they are
still people, "who come from all walks of life, all races, and
religions" (Marx 4). Although many were born into homelessness or were
brought down to it by their parents, many have lost their jobs during economic
changes of the 1980's and weren't able to find other work, either because they
were to old to be hired or didnt' have the correct skills (Marx 4). All over the
world people because of the way they look and mainly becuse they arent' to the
level of society the average person is on. But not only adults are homeless,
teenagers and children are living on the streets as well. Many are
"runaways and throwaways" (Hyde 52) Just because you dont' see the
swaarms and swarms of children living on the street, it doesn't mean they arent'
there. Seven hundred fifty thousand to one million three hundred thousand boys
and girls are homeless because they are runaways from either broken, abusive, or
dysfunctional families. But many also come from being thrown out of their homes,
some for reasons and some for no reasons at all. (Hyde 52). But either way its
no excuse to throw your child out on the street. But all teenagers, children and
adults all need places to live ("Homeless in America" 146). Thousands
of Americans stay in shelters each week ("Homelessness"). Shelters
such as church basements, old hotels or even buildings built for shelters
usually always stay full (Marx 4). Every day people are turned away adn even
some have given up on finding a bed to sleep in (marx 4). So jsut like Fantine
had to "sell herself" just to make it along, people on the streets are
doing this everyday just to get a warn meal to eat (Hugo 97). Next time you are
driving out of town don't look out your window and think poor soul, do something
the best way you can, even if it is just giving a bottle of water.