The chapter "The Down Town Back-Alleys" in Jacob Riis' novel "How the Other Half Lives" focuses on the plight of the poor on the lower east side of Manhattan. The novel focuses on what Riis calls the "other half," indicating the division between the poor people he writes about and his audience. ... Another social gap that Riis makes is a division between races and ethnicities, and specifically notes the split between natives and immigrants. ... By specifically noting them, he is making a differentiation between them and others in the city at the time. ...

• Word Count: 1082
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

It is accepted at the beginning of the novel that Darcy is the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world'. ... It is important to note that those living in that time were essentially living in extremely bad conditions with bad hygiene, food, clothing and shelter. ... Within the novel there are other, smaller courtships: Mr. ... Courtship takes on an unspoken, importance in the novel. ... Journeys, even short ones are the function for change in the novel. ...

• Word Count: 3094
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

The most prominent of the examples in the novel was the trial of Magwitch and Compeyson. ... Magwitch notes how he is taking the blame for everything, "It was always me that the money had been paid to, how it was always me that had seemed to work the thing and get the profit " (Dickens 350). ...

• Word Count: 2674
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School