Invisibility
By Hazel Hudson
"Child Homelessness" - article
"Many homeless children 'can’t get the full range of shelter services, food assistance and counseling to manage the trauma of being homeless — and they can’t get it because they’re kids,' said Ed Walz," (Child Homelessness). Many homeless children do not get the help they need from shelters and organizations, because they are children. These children are invisible because they are not seen as a priority, and so they don't get any help or attention from very many organizations.
"The Circuit" - nonfiction story
- "Suddenly I notice Papa's face turn pale as he looked down the road. 'Here comes the school bus,' he whispered loudly in alarm. Instinctively, Roberto and I ran and hid in the vineyards. We did not want to get in trouble for not going to school," (Jimenez 69). If the children in the family do not go to school, and the parents do not even send them, then they could get in trouble for child labor. The children who are not being sent to school are invisible to others, because if the parents don't allow others to notice them, then they will never be able to go to school unless the parents decide for them.
- " 'We have work! Mr. Sullivan said we can stay there the whole season,' ... The garage was worn out by the years. It had no windows. The walls, eaten by termites, strained to support the roof full of holes. The dirt floor, populated by earth worms, looked like a gray road map," (Jimenez 68). The family found work for the season, but the place they were given to stay was not very clean or built very well. This shows invisibility, because they might not be seen as a priority by the family they are working for, or they are not paid very much attention to by those willing to help them.
THINGS NOT SEEN by Andrew Clements
- "I can't believe what I'm reading: 'Watch TV or something'? And then, 'Call me if there's an emergency'? So let me get this straight, Mom: Your kid goes invisible, and that's not an emergency?" (Clements 19). This quote can show that main character, Bobby Phillips, is invisible to his parents, because his parents leave him when he thinks that he is in an emergency.
- " 'And it was like my parents couldn't see me either. They just saw this thing that was suddenly helpless. They're better now, but still, I'm not their wonderful daughter they were so proud of anymore. Now I'm a big job, a job they can't get rid of even if they wanted to,' " (Clements 106). Alicia, who went blind in an accident, also feels invisible to her parents, even though they have to pay careful attention to her and help her. They are not paying attention to her for the things that she wants them to, just the fact that she is blind.