Use the passage from Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives to answer the question. “Caught in the street by the truant officer, or by the agents of the Children’s Societies, peddling, perhaps, or begging, to help out the family resources, he runs the risk of being sent to a reformatory, where contact with vicious boys older than himself soon develop the latent possibilities for evil that lie hidden in him. . . . The risk of the reformatory is too great. What is done in the end is to let him take chances—with the chances all against him. The result is the rough young savage, familiar from the street.” – Jacob Riis In a paragraph of 3–5 sentences, analyze what Riis is saying about the lives of young boys in New York City’s slums.

Answer 1

Jacob Riis is conveying the dismal reality faced by young boys living in New York City's slums. He highlights how these boys are often left to fend for themselves, resorting to desperate measures such as peddling or begging to support their families. However, if caught, they run the risk of being sent to reformatories, where they are influenced by older, more corrupt boys. Riis argues that this possibility is too dangerous, leading to the decision to allow these boys to take their chances on the streets, where they ultimately become rough and uncivilized. Riis's portrayal of their lives showcases the bleak circumstances and limited opportunities faced by these young boys.