Maud Martha sat hopelessly on the porch alongside mama and sister Helen. They all thought that this would be the end of their fourteen years in this house with a slim chance of staying. Mama thought of all the memories created in the house: the friendly neighbors and the entertaining parties they shared together. The reality is that if they didn’t receive an extension from the mortgage holders, the whole family will be kicked out on the streets. Unfortunately that’s when it would set in that they are no longer homeowners; just another homeless family. The short story “Home” by Gwendolyn Brooks represents the feeling of waiting and unbearable worry that comes with living paycheck to paycheck.
All over America today, more families are losing their homes due to job loss or many other causes. According to MMI, one out of five people say that they are only paying for the necessities which includes gas, groceries and paying bills. In “Home” the family had to make do with what they had: a shortage of money causes a shortage of everything. Over 80% of families in America say they are dealing with the effects of our economy, some better than others, though many have the problem of always want, want, want. Most citizens believe what they hear and see in the media, except in reality a majority of us do not have it that way.
Throughout America people are facing the challenge of keeping a roof over their heads. Just as in the article “How Far Will A Man Go For A Job”, by Jeff Truesdell the author, illustrates that people are traveling great distances just to have a job, not even a decent job. However this situation is better than being one of the many jobless. As sad as it is, the father lives five days a week in a simple Kansas apartment with his brother, miserably five hundred miles from his home in Janesville, Wisconsin. While reading this article I thought of Maud Martha and how she must feel living in worry of her parents losing their jobs. Just as Mike’s two sons think about where they will be if their dad loses his job again. From what I have experienced and learned, the economy has a domino effect, beginning with being in debt, followed by war, soon after it hits close to home and before you know it goes one by one, knocking down whatever lies in its path.
Beneath the article, I thought of the majority of families in situations similar to the “Hanley’s in Wisconsin. As well as my very own situation, I am aware that I am not the only middle school girl living with a single mother in a suburban lifestyle, also in a difficult economy. Meanwhile, my dad lives in Colorado working for a water and oil transporting company. We find ways everyday to save and cutback. Some adjustments we’ve made are the use of less electricity, shortened showers, and cutoff the short trips to fast food restaurants. There are many other alternatives to saving, such as having a savings account or downsizing to a smaller house even buying a 30 mile per gallon hybrid. The relation between “Home” is that the family will have to find ways to cut back, if they haven’t already.
The short story “Home” brought about many topics of real life situations and the responsibilities of living paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes when we have less it makes you think what really matters in life. The author “Gwendolyn Brooks” teaches sometimes change is needed and most of the time it’s for the better. Many readers will learn from the short story that life isn’t easy and that you have to be prepared for what’s next, while planning for what’s ahead.
