There are other men living in Mott Haven that also fill that void. Kozol eloquently describes his role, “I once told another man I know, who fills a role somewhat like mine among the children, that I felt we were like “gleaners” in the Bible, not in fields of grain but in a field of love that can’t be harvested by those to whom the love rightly belongs.” (Kozol 130). Later he admits that this is not true but will not admit where his father actually is.ĭuring his time in the Mott Haven community, Kozol, at times, served as a father figure for the children who yearn to share what is in their hearts with their own fathers. One of the children, Elio, even fibs about his father coming home the following week. Ann’s in which several of the children reveal that they miss their fathers who are in prison. Kozol describes an intimate conversation with a group of children in the sanctuary of St. The children are aware of this fact and often visit the jail. Most of the fathers of the Mott Haven community are incarcerated in a nearby prison. High crime rates not only put the children at risk as potential victims but also robs them of the male role models that are vital to their development. The symptoms of the kind of poverty described are apparent in elevated crime rates, the absence of health care and the lack of funding for education.
Kozol reports “All are very poor statistics tell us that they are the poorest children in New York.” (Kozol 4). In Mott Haven, the typical family yearly income is about $10,000, "trying to sustain" is how the mothers generally express their situation. Almost all of the struggles that the children face stem from the root problem of intense poverty. They are exposed to difficult issues that force them to grow up very quickly. The children in this book at times seem wise beyond their years. They work long hours and go beyond the call of duty to protect the innocence and cultivate the hope that resides in the hearts of Mott Haven’s youngest residents. Ann’s after school program and the creativity of the teachers at P.S. The courage and care exhibited by the volunteers of St. It is the words of the children that give this book optimism and meaning.
Just his commentary would paint a very bleak picture of the future. Kozol provides his own socially conscious and very informative view of the issues facing the children and educators in this poverty ravaged neighborhood. In his book, Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope, Jonathan Kozol pulls back the veil and provides readers with a glimpse of the harsh conditions and unrelenting hope that exists in a community located in the South Bronx called Mott Haven.
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