Bors 1

Estera Bors
Professor Kramer
UNST 126A
June 4, 2016
Communication
My analytical paper was focused on how a home, or the absence of a home, can affect a
person mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. My argument was supported with
two books we read this term. The first was Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich and the
second was Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. In both of these works of literature
the author choses to live a life far different from their own in order to learn about the people who
live that life every single day. I think that communication was very significant in my essay,
because both of the books I mentioned above evolved around communication, rather the lack of.
In my paper, I discussed how negligent our government is of the working class of
America. During class discussion we were able to really dig deep and discuss how different and
exploited the workers were in both Ehrenreichs and Boos novels. Through this essay, I was able
to express how much a lack of shelter negatively impacts a human being. As Americans, we
whole heartedly believe in basic human rights, yet to this day still have hundreds and thousands
of homeless people all over the country. In Katherine Boos book, Boo moved to Mumbai for 4
years where she followed around 335 families in a little village called Annawadi. In this village,
everyone lived in little huts and worked together for their entire lives. As the novel progresses,
there is great concern that Annawadi will be demolished as the airport nearby grows bigger and

Bors 2
bigger each day. Through this novel, Boo was able to share the stories of many by giving them a
character and a voice. In Barbara Ehrenreichs novel, she adopted the life of a low skill and low
education woman in order to experience the quality of life for the working class. As we read
further into her novel, it became obvious that a lack of communication between employee and
employers limited any relationship between the two.
The topic of the working class is often avoided and therefore nothing is done about all of
the issues in it. Because we intricately discussed this topic in class, I was able to incorporate all
of those views into my essay. Most of us take our homes for granted because weve always had
them, but it takes a lot of heart to really appreciate our homes and think about all of the people in
the world who dont have them. Through careful analysis, I developed an argument that
effectively expressed the true necessity of a shelter for every single human being on planet Earth.
After completing this essay, I hope to be able to openly discuss the issue of homelessness
with other individuals and formulate ideas that could lead to a solution. Im so grateful for the
ability to communicate with others and through writing because the more we speak out about
these issues, the more attention they will gather. Communication is key to progress and
potentially a much deserved victory.