Use the passage from Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives to answer the question.

Question

Use the passage from Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives to answer the question.

"With no steady hand to guide him, the boy takes naturally to idle ways. 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 city has no Truant Home in which to keep him, and all efforts of the children’s friends to enforce school attendance are paralyzed by this want. The risk of the reformatory is too great." – Jacob Riis

In a paragraph of 3–5 sentences, interpret the passage in your own words.

Answer 1

The passage describes the consequences that a young boy faces when he lacks proper guidance and structure in his life. Without someone to mentor him, the boy easily falls into a cycle of idleness and mischief. This behavior often leads to encounters with truant officers and social service agents, as the boy resorts to peddling or begging to support his family. Unfortunately, the options available for addressing this problem are limited and potentially harmful for the boy. Sending him to a reformatory with older, troubled boys can bring out the negative traits within him, which were previously dormant. The absence of a Truant Home exacerbates the issue, as efforts to ensure school attendance are hindered.