How The Other Half Lives Summary

n 1890, Jacob Riis published a groundbreaking booked titled “How the Other Half Lives.” Jacob Riis, a Danish immigrant, spent the majority of the 1880s collecting the information that would later go into his bestselling book. “How the Other Half Lives” provides a written and visual portrayal of the horrendous living conditions in many New York City slums. While the middle and upper classes lived considerably more comfortable lives, the people suffering through the horrid conditions in the aforementioned slums were often forgotten—their needs going unattended. “How the Other Half Lives” served as a form of muckraking—by exposing the conditions of New York City slums to the middle and upper classes, initiative was then taken to improve the health and living conditions for working class families. “How the Other Half Lives” serves as an explosive starting point for the reform of working and living conditions for the working class.
In addition to the written description of the slums of New York City, “How the Other Half Lives” was one of the earliest publications that contained photojournalism.
At the time, photojournalism was uncommon because of the complex process of taking pictures. In order to take a picture, one must carry bulky, awkward and heavy equipment. And in this case, the areas being photographed were often dark. So in order for there to be “flash photography” a small explosive must be set off in order to provide the “flash” needed for the photograph. Because of the complex procedure of taking photographs, photojournalism was rare at the time that “How the Other Half Lives” was published. For this reason, most members of the middle and upper classes had never seen a slum. For many, the photographs published by Riis were the first visual account of the horrid living conditions of slums. Because the photographs published in “How the Other Half Lives,” were the first visual account of slum life for many, the shock value of the book
increased. Much of “How the Other Half Lives” describes the living conditions in tenement housing in New York City slums. Tenements were housing buildings meant to occupy several families per floor. Riis discusses that for many poor immigrants that came to the United States during the 19th century, the tenements were originally seen as a blessing. This was because tenement housing was often extremely cheap, allowing those that worked low wage jobs a place to live. However, as time went on, New York City became more crowded due to constant waves of immigration. As the members of the poor, working class increased, tenements also became more crowded. Soon, the tenements were overcrowded, with families occupying space from the cellar to garret (4). The tenements, not suited to serve the needs of so many people, soon became a public health concern. First, the tenements were often built with no regard given to light or ventilation. Meaning, there were often rooms without windows, leaving no source of fresh air or light. Because of this, rooms were not properly ventilated. Improper ventilation can lead to the constant presence of foul air. The foul air posed a constant threat to those living in the tenements because foul air can contribute to illness or disease. Additionally, each floor often housed several large families. Oftentimes, the space was far too small to comfortably house such a large number of people. Riis noted that at times, a room 12 x 19 feet in size could house five families of up to twenty people. For this reason, people were often crowded far too close together. The constant crowding allowed illness and disease to spread rapidly among those living together (7). Cholera, a disease spread through exposure to contaminated feces, was especially common among those living in crowded tenements in the slums. Cholera was spread ever more easily due to the lack of proper sewage systems and bathroom facilities in tenements. For much of the 19th century, families living in tenements were forced to share bathrooms located outside of tenement buildings. Because there was no sewage system, waste spilled out onto the streets. Eventually, toilets were implement in tenement houses, but these toilets were still shared by far too many people. For this reasons, cholera and other diseases and illnesses were spread easily. While the horrendous living conditions in tenements continued through much of the 19th century, Riis’ “How the Other Half Lives” helped to begin the push for housing and sanitation reform, the destruction of many slums and helped to increase awareness and knowledge about the living conditions in slums. Riis ends “How the Other Half Lives” with a series of statements declaring what can be done to improve the living conditions in New York City slums. First, Riis states that the middle and upper class must recognize the “ever swelling crowd of wage-earners… that is not housed decently” (304). This means that before reform can take place, those not living in slums must recognize the existence of slums. Then, Riis states that responsibility to decently house the working class is a sanitary, moral and economic responsibility. Meaning, for the sake of public health, the economy and for the sake of fulfilling moral obligation, there must be reform that provides decent living conditions for the working class. Lastly, Riis offers incentive to improve the living conditions of slums by suggesting that there is economic opportunity for those willing to invest in the improvement of slums. Many of Riis’ assertions held true. First, “How the Other Half Lives” increased awareness among the middle and upper classes about the living conditions of slums. Additionally, many newspapers and journals recognized Riis’ work and praised Riis’ for asserting that poverty is a moral issue. Because of the widespread publication and praise for “How the Other Half Lives,” legislative reform was also taken to combat poverty and poor living conditions in slums. First, in 1901, the New Tenement House Act was passed. The previous Tenement House Act, passed in 1867, attempted to improve living conditions in slums. However, there was little pressure from those in power to comply with the regulations required in the 1867 Tenement House Act. Because of this, the act proved widely unsuccessful. The new act, however, proved more successful. The act required that each room have a window facing the exterior of the building for a source of light and fresh air. Additionally, tenements must provide one toilet for every two families. Because of the increased awareness about the prior conditions of New York City slums depicted in Riis’ book, owners of tenements were much more willing to comply to the regulations listed in the New Tenement House Act versus the original one passed in 1867. More so than that, some of the worst New York City slums, the Five Points neighborhood, for example, were destroyed completely. This was due to conditions that were deemed too horrendous to improve. After destruction of the Five Points neighborhood took place, revival efforts took place. Many of the efforts that took place to improve living conditions in New York City slums can be attributed to the ideas promoted in “How the Other Half Lives.” “How the Other Half Lives” is a groundbreaking piece of literature that had immediate and lasting effects on the working and living conditions of working class families in New York City. Without the eye opening portrayal of the lives of some of the poorest people living in the New York City, reforms to improve the living conditions in slums may have been delayed indefinitely. Without the reforms provoked by Riis, those living in poverty and filthy conditions would have continued to suffer. Fortunately, Riis provided an eye opening account of how the “other half lives,” which provoked reform and discussion about poverty, public health and other sanitation issues. Today, one can visibly see the effects of “How the Other Half Lives” by observing the improved conditions of housing for working class families.