“Above and Below” Fiction Research Analysis Essay
In “above and below” Lauren exhibits herself as a homeless person and tries to depict the challenges she goes through in the story. The story illustrates the sense of homelessness and poverty and how the two are quite related to each other. “Poverty is described as the lack of finances to cater for the basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing” (Giffon Clive, page one). Poverty would lead to being homeless because of the inability to pay the house rent. In reality, poverty leads to homelessness. In” above and below” Lauren shows us a glimpse of poverty where she has to move out of her apartment after completing college. She goes to the extent of showing us the little that she has. She was off college financial support, and her pay from the tuition had depleted. She could ask for support from her mother who was sick, and she would send empty care package
Homelessness is the situation where the person does not have a permanent place to stay. This homelessness could include an extended stay in motels and even cars. Lauren after packing her thing hits the road and goes to a beach. She stays in her car, and when it gets dark, she slept in her car. A police office notices Lauren had been staying there for a week, which is quite dangerous for a woman and also illegal. She has to move to another beach. She does not have the place to shower and has to sneak into a gym to shower. Being homeless makes you hide from people because you do not want anyone to recognize you at locations that are illegal for people to stay for a long time. “Lauren parks her truck so that no one could realize it was there” (Groff Lauren
Homelessness affected the physical nature of the main character in that her health deteriorates a great deal. She could see her rib bones when she looked at herself in the mirror. Her mentality on life totally changed because she lost even the love for family. She says that she did not call her mother for Christmas and happy New Year. The character even goes to the extent of saying that she had detached from herself and she grew muscles in her skinny arms. She had even lost the essence of being a lady and could not focus on her body as a woman.
Essay on homelessness
 Homelessness to some people means being free and explore the world outside there. People would leave their family, friend and even jobs just to hit the road to places they have never been to in their lives. These people are quite content with the life of living the streets. Homelessness is an adventure to rebels, explorers, and adventurers who would like to see the outside world. Homelessness has played a significant role in American development. The colonialists come as homeless people and were ready to adventure into America to build the city. In America, the homeless are given an equal opportunity to grab in case they worked hard enough. Homelessness gives a person the ability to have no limitations in what they are doing like traveling to whatever place they want. Lauren moved from location to location of her choice. Some people reject the idea of being in a home and being at a permanent place, so they will rather be on the road. The inability to find satisfaction makes people move from city to city to find better experiences. During this adventure of being homeless new friendship is found and even opportunities. The experience of traveling from place to place excites them. Lauren gets to know new people and sees new possibilities.
Society view people on the street to be less privileged. Their lives are considered to be miserable since they are living in the streets. Society to some extent tries to help the homeless by setting up homes for them and even providing for the meals once in a while. Homelessness comes with a lot of challenge that affects the person’s health, security, mentality, and family relationships. The adverse effect includes not being safe, and the government is always on the individual’s neck. Lauren was noticed by the cop when she stayed at a stop over for a week and had to move to another beach. .” There is always lack of security in the streets, and these people are prone to theft and sexual harassment because even the character gets a child out of being homeless” (McNamara, Robert, page twenty-eight). Lauren was out on the streets, and she was sexually harassed and got pregnant. The character is not able to even take a bath this shows that there is the lack of personal hygiene. Lauren has to sneak into a gym’s bathroom to shower. Homelessness is increasing with time due to high levels of poverty in the world, unemployment and high living standards.
Works Cited
Baumohl, Jim. Homelessness in America: A Statistical Handbook and Resource Guide. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1996. Internet resource.
Gifford, Clive. Poverty. London: Evans, 2009. Print.
Groff, Lauren. Above and below,2011.
McNamara, Robert H. Homelessness in America. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2008. Internet resource.
Wohlforth Charles, ;How search for freedom and news start lead to homelessness, June 8 2016, www.adn.com/voices/commentary/2016/06/08/how-a-search-for-freedom-and-a-new-start-led-to-homelessness-on-a-cold-anchorage-roadside/, February 15, 2017
