I think Andrea Elliot chose to follow Dasani for a variety of reasons. Dasani is 11, and the oldest of 8 children. Her father abandoned her mother, Chanel, who is 34. Dasani is very intellectual and has a sense of humour despite the lack of stability in her situation. She is also perceptive when it comes to her family, homelessness, and herself, offering many details that Elliot may not have received from other family members. Because of these qualities, Dasani offers hope to her situation, making her a good protagonist to the series.
One of the most shocking things the articles reveal is the lack of government aid to the homeless. Child service officials intimidate them, who have separated Chanel from her children before. They pose threats of putting the children in foster care where they would most likely be separated. Complaints about the homeless shelter they live in, "Auburn" are promptly ignored. Auburn itself is terrifying; rats, mice, rancid food, sexual predators, broken elevators, filthy bathrooms, broken sinks, rotting walls, abestos, and to top it all off, the 10 person family lives in one room. Health inspectors record a great number of health code violations but nothing seems to be done about it. There is little medical aid: Dasani once had to carry her sister up many flights of stairs to retrieve her inhaler during an asthma attack because the security guards wouldn't take the elevator with them. The family seems trapped in the crowded and unforgiving environment that Auburn offers.
Dasani does well at school, keeping up good grades. However, she takes after her mother with her tendency to fight with the other kids. When times get hard, it is harder for Dasani to do all her homework and get to school on time. She gets in trouble more often and eventually is suspended for a week. You see the beacon of hope that is Dasani start to diminish as time goes on. You also see the importance of school for children in need- in many cases, it is the only place that provides stability and the chance of getting a job or an apartment.
In a chain of events that is both heartrending and surprising, Andrea Elliot exposes the appalling lack of government aid to failing homeless shelters, and the sad truth of what it's like to be a homeless child in New York. Dasani is one of 22,000 homeless children living in New York. I hope Andrea Elliot's admirable and thorough work with Dasani's family motivates a huge change in the way our government handles homeless families. I was so moved by this piece, which is why I chose to write about it. It was very inspiring, especially because Elliot never mentions her own struggle to follow the family for an entire year. I'm excited to read more non fiction like this, because it brings to mind the things that make real life so interesting and complicated (although sad).
