Invisibility RPT
What does it mean to be invisible?
The Circuit
The Circuit is an article about a boy named Panchito who came to the US from Mexico. His family survives because they are sharecroppers, which means that they farm on someones land in return to live there. None of the kids have gotten an education and will have to continue doing this for the rest of their lives. They are invisible because live on people's property and no one knows they are there. Family's like Panchito's are silently work all day and don't go to the outside world for people to know that they are there. At the end of the book, Panchito starts going to school, but has to leave after just a few months and after that no one came to see where they are, they just disappear. in the book it says, "As soon as it got off the bus, my little brothers and sisters ran up to meet me. They were yelling and screaming. I thought they were happy to see me, but when I opened the door to our shack, I saw that everything we owned was neatly packed in cardboard boxes." (The Circuit pg.71) From this I think that he has not been going to school for too long, and they are moving again. This is because his little brother and sister were exited to see him when he gets back, and if they were doing that for a while and it became a routine, I don't think they would be yelling and screaming.
Things Not Seen
Unlike The Circuit, this book is about a boy named Bobby who actually was invisible. His invisibility caused him to get much more attention than if he was not invisible. The Child and Family Services for the state of Illinois got involved because he was missing for so many days. While he was invisible, he and his parents told no one, not even other family members. So, everyone thought he was missing and the Family Services workers were very concern. They would look through their house and talking to his parents. During this time, while he went to the library (he went fully covered with clothes) he met a blind girl named Alicia. She played a huge role in Bobby getting out of invisibility, and she is a bit invisible herself. Since Alicia is blind, she doesn't have more than a few friends and does not go to school. She feels invisible because not being able to see means that she can't to some of the things that regular kids can, so no one notices her. Alicia sent a message to Bobby, and it said, "sorry im such a mess. face. im a mess. im never going to be fun around you. ive been kidding myself into thinking we were such friends. more than friends. you were like me. you had a problem, i had a problem. i could even help you." (Things Not Seen pg.248) At the end she was saying that when he was invisible, they knew there was a way to get rid of it, but she is blind forever. So, this shows that she felt invisible, and feels invisible now, once she was the only one with a problem, Booby and everyone else she knows doesn't and can go on with a normal life, but she knows she will never be able to do that.
Homeless Children
This article is about Theresa Muller and her two young kids living in a motel room. Not only she has disappeared she young kids have too. The kids are invisible because when you live in a motel room, no one knows you are there. It is not like a house people would see the go out and most importantly they would know who they are. Based of the article, I think that these kids are not getting the same opportunities we have. By that I mean they don't go to school, play sports, have friends, and more. But, they are moving into a neighboring county, where the kids may have a chance to become visible. This picture (the one on the left) shows that their motel room has become their home. There is stuff everywhere, on the floor, on the dresser, next to and on the beds, and a lot more. Based of the picture, I think that they have been living there for a while. This is because there many many things such as what looks like a walker for a baby, empty amazon boxes, and lots of stuffed animals places all over the motel room. These are things that they would not have to bring if they were staying there for just a few nights. Also, the kids are 7 years old and 4 years old, and there is a walker in there, so they must have been living in that motel room for at least two years.
Citations
Child Homelessness at Record High, Report Says, "call to Action" for States." Newsela. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.
Clements, Andrew. Things Not Seen. New York: Philomel, 2002. Print.
JimeĢnez, Francisco. The Circuit. New York: Scholastic, 1997. Print.