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Analysis Of Barbara Lazear Ascher's On Compassion

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Analysis Of Barbara Lazear Ascher's On Compassion
Challenging society’s viewpoints about compassion, Barbara Lazear Ascher’s essay “On Compassion” calls to attention the act of giving to the homeless, and whether these actions are done out of true compassion or simple agitation. The various stories recalled within the essay are set in “The Empire State”, New York. As the essay begins, the author first writes about a homeless man who approaches a mother waiting a crosswalk with a stroller in hand. The man is distracted as he walks by the sight of a blonde baby in the woman’s stroller, and upon his incessant staring at the child, the mother seems to become uncomfortable, and shuffles through her purse only to soon pull out a dollar bill, which she thrusts towards the man. After a brief moment,
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