An Analysis of How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis Literature Essay (Essay Sample)

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An Analysis of How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis
In any society, there is always a rift between the haves and have nots. Judging from the state of the given society, this rift may be of incredulous proportions while for others, the rift is less pronounced. Jacob Riis narrates American society in the 19th century. The 19th century was the dawn of industrialization, immigration, and urbanization. This growth was largely unprecedented and led to a huge amount of strife in the fast-growing city of New York. The fast growth was characterized by a huge rift between the rich and the poor. The rich were mainly industry owners who did not care about the poor masses. As long as they did what they were being paid for in the factories, then that was just about all the care that the rich could afford the poor. As a result of this neglect, there was a marked increase in strife in the city that was noticed by the rich minority, a move to force them to notice how the other half lives. In his narration, Jacob Riis gives a clear depiction of how the other poorer half, lives and how the American society has been impacted, both positively and negatively, by the recent upsurge in industrialization, immigration, and urbanization, which is discussed in this essay.
Impact of Industrialization on Different Racial/Immigrant/Ethnic Groups
Industrialization in the 19th century had both positive and negative impacts on American society. Generally, industrialization heralded a major rise in technology that saw the manufacture of quite a several types of machinery and general use items that made life so much easier for the common citizen barely making ends meet. Industrialization also paved way for a huge number of jobs simultaneously. This large number of suddenly available jobs did not require much skill and with little instruction, anyone could do them. These job openings enabled the regular citizens and immigrants to be able to get jobs and at least get paid to maintain themselves and their families.