The story title, "Homeless man, Ansley Park neighbors strike a deal," starts with a delayed identification lead, "He lived under a tree at Winn Park," and is followed by the sentence, " He'd been there a decade, long enough that people living near the Midtown park knew him-Jake Comton, the homeless guy in the sleeping bag." I like that the author chose a delayed id, because it characterizes Compton as a man who has endured hardship for several years. If the author had said something like, "Compton, a 48-year-old homeless man who lives in Winn Park," instead then reader would have likely dismissed Compton's problems and turned to the next page. Nevertheless, the imagery Davis provides in the first two sentences lures the readers to anticipate what's coming next and to wonder about the relevance of Compton's story.
Next, Davis writes, " He did the occasional odd job, accepted handouts. He was a reminder that life isn't always easy or fair." Again, Davis carefuly chooses his language in a way that will make readers feel compassion for Compton, rather than writing him off as a lazy hobo. He makes Compton personable and relatable as much as he can to readers.
In the next few paragraphs, Davis outlines 67-year-old retired real estate investor's Jerry Attkinson, plan to alleviate Compton's distress. Attkinson and his community members will pay Compton $2 for every pile of mulch he spreads around the park.
Davis then writes, "That summer, a range of new hills spread around the park- 25 piles here, 50 there. It was as if a giant mole kept popping out of the ground, leaving huge mounds in its wake." Davis uses the metaphor of a laborious mole to demonstrate Compton's diligence in spreading the mulch, and likewise his eagerness to find an 'out' from poverty.
Furthermore, Davis writes that Compton kept working and that "The piles, and his savings, grew." This sentence paints the image, in my mind, of several piles of mulch spread around Winn Park, the result of arduous labor from Compton.
Davis gives the reader an update on Compton's status after raising several thousand dollars from spreading mulch. Davis writes, "He's got a bank account, a cell phone, and his eye on a nice little place on Piedmont Avenue. He's been on the street for 10 years due to "family problems." Davis then adds a quote by Compton saying, "I've met some nice people," says Compton who moved 33 years ago from Griffin. "Hopefully things are looking up for me."
I have problems with Davis' epilogue. He leaves Compton's homelessness very ambigous and doesn't explain what exactly "family problems" entail neither does he delves into why Compton moved from Griffin in the first place. Davis may have chose to leave out Compton's "family problems" for ethical reasons. Nevertheless, I still would like to know why Compton was left on the streets. Did he have absolutely no one at all to turn for support? I believe Davis should have answered this question for the audience. He should have asked Compton why he didn't have anyone to turn to. Compton's answer could have given readers a better look at the causes behind homelessness.
The last paragraph talks about Attkinson's warm relationship with Compton saying that the two about books and families. This leaves me a little confused. I thought Compton was homeless for "family problems." If he has a family to talk warmly about over dinner, they why is he still on the streets? Again, I think the Davis should have clarified this for the readers and should have explained why Compton was alone.
The last sentence of the story, "They are linked by humanity. They are friends," I believe, sums up the author's intent for Compton's story; to put a face on Atlanta's rising poverty and instill common ground between readers and homeless Atlanta.
Consequently, I believe a good way to wrap up this story would have been to add a sidebar or additional information on how readers can help fight homelessness within their own community. Also, after reading Compton's heartfelt story, readers would probably want to help him out, and Davis should have provided his readers with an outlet to do so.
Lastly, I think another good addition to the story would have been to add a fact box about the rising statistics of homelessness in Georgia. I believe seeing drastic numbers and facts about the growing problem would have compelled people to help out even more in some way.
Robyn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this analysis. Poverty, homelessness and other issues dealing with marginalized people are difficult to cover, because most people prefer not to think too much about them. I think with the economy tanking and more people worrying about the security of their jobs and their homes, it's easier to build empathy for folks having a hard time.
Issues like this need to be tackled from a variety of angles. Telling a personal story is a crucial one, because it humanizes the issue. It's also important to lay out the big picture -- the numbers of people who are homeless or in poverty, the social and financial costs of the problem, ways that policy and nonprofits can address the problem, and what everyday people can do to help. We need editors to conceptualize these pieces and bring them together to tell a complete story.