Evicted Questions and Answers
Evicted
Who is Arleen in Evicted?
Arleen is one of the many tragic individuals in the real-life tale Evicted. Impoverished and living with her children, she is evicted from her apartment and needs to find new housing immediately....
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Who is Sherrena in Evicted?
Sherrena is one of the landlords in the book Evicted. She houses the author, among many others. After years as a teacher and a failed attempt at starting a daycare business, Sherrena decides to...
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How does racism play a role in Evicted by Matthew Desmond?
The main topic of the book, housing insecurity, is inextricably tied to racism in America. For example, the author Matthew Desmond investigates the lower class housing scene in Milwaukee. He notes...
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How does the book Evicted relate to sociology?
In Evicted, sociologist Matthew Desmond takes a close look at the lives of eight families impacted by the affordable housing crisis. His research leads to an analysis of all of the factors at play...
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Compare and contrast Sherrena and Tobin in Evicted.
Despite coming from different racial backgrounds—Sherrena is African-American and Tobin is white—they have both managed to find a way to make a lot of money out of the chronic housing crisis...
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Why does Crystal allow Arleen to stay in the apartment in Evicted by Matthew Desmond?
Before Crystal moved into the apartment, Arleen and her two children were the tenants. Arleen's mother died and finances became tight, ultimately leading to eviction from the apartment. When...
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How did Scott recover from his addictions?
Scott used to work as a nurse before his license was revoked due to addiction issues. He'd become hooked on painkillers and other opioids. Not only has Scott's addiction cost him his job, it's also...
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What are the main themes or arguments in Evicted? Cite evidence from the text.
The main themes of Evicted are the forces that lead to the huge numbers of American families who face eviction each year. The author traces several families who face eviction in Milwaukee. One of...
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Do you agree with Sherrena when she says: "The 'hood is good. There's a lot of money there"?
The "'hood" has certainly been good for Sherrena. She's made an awful lot of money out of renting properties in the run-down black neighborhoods of Milwaukee's North Side. The chronic shortage of...
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Why does Sherrena decide to evict Doreen's family?
In Matthew Desmond's book Evicted, which was published in 2016, the author invites us along on a visit with eight families living in extreme poverty in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here, it is a constant...
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In Evicted, how did Vanetta prepare for her sentencing hearing?
Vanetta and her three children are on the brink of being evicted. Vanetta's hours at the diner where she works have been drastically reduced, so much so that she's really struggling to make ends...
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What racial/ethnic stereotypes does Evicted by Matthew Desmond show? How do people in Evicted use race and ethnicity...
Evicted is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction book by Matthew Desmond. The book features true accounts of various impoverished families in the inner-core areas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Desmond's...
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Explain why the author says, “Children didn’t shield families from eviction; they exposed them to it.”
The author of Evicted, Matthew Desmond, is referring to the fact that families with children are more likely to be evicted than those without. Indeed, they're at a distinct disadvantage when it...
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Why does Larraine spend her money the way she does?
It's fair to say that Larraine, a resident of the trailer park, has a bit of a problem when it comes to spending. She thinks nothing of blowing $200 on a jar of beauty cream instead of paying her...
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What is Crystal’s pattern of behavior?
Crystal Mayberry is trapped in a sad and destructive pattern of poverty, drug abuse, prostitution, and low self-worth. This pattern keeps putting her right back where she started, which is...
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Is the author biased, and if so, in what way?
If you're writing a book about a contentious issue like housing, it's virtually impossible to avoid expressing a point of view. Matthew Desmond, the author of Evicted, is no different. He wants to...
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Where in Evicted does the quote “Eviction is a cause, not just a condition, of poverty.” appear
The quote "Eviction is a cause, not just a condition of poverty," appears on page 299 of the book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the America City by Matthew Desmond. It appears in the final chapter...
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What does the author mean by "the house failed the tenants, and the tenants failed the house"?
The Hinkstons expect Sherrena to carry out repairs in their apartment when things get broken. After all, she's the landlord, and that's what landlords are supposed to do. But she doesn't,...
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How is the trailer park similar to and different from the North Side of Milwaukee?
Class oppression and capitalist exploitation are the common realities that exist for people living in both the trailer park and the North Side of Milwaukee. In both living situations, the land lord...
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Who is Crystal in Matthew Desmond's Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City?
Crystal Mayberry is a young woman with mental health and substance abuse issues who lives with Arleen and Vanetta, but is also sometimes homeless. For this nonfiction study of eviction as a US...
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How do tenants like Crystal and Arleen rely on friends and extended kin networks to get by in "Evicted" by Matthew...
Matthew Diamond shows the importance of friend and kin networks for low-income people such as Crystal and Arleen, who are extremely vulnerable to eviction. When tenants are evicted, they often have...
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How does eviction affect Arleen in the book Evicted?
Eviction affects Arleen physically, mentally, and emotionally. In his 2016 nonfiction novel Evicted, author Matthew Desmond follows eight families living in poverty in Milwaukee. One of these...
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Why do Pam and Ned have such a hard time finding housing?
There are a number of reasons. For one thing, they're both drug addicts. Pam has made efforts in the past to stay off drugs, but without success. The couple's drug addictions have landed them in...
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Why do you think Vanetta’s public defender failed to mention that she was attending GED classes, providing childcare,...
Like most poor people who end up in court, Vanetta has to rely on a public defender to make her case. Public defenders' offices in most states are notoriously understaffed and under-resourced,...
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How is poverty discussed in Evicted by Matthew Desmond?
Poverty is the depressing motif that runs right throughout Matthew Desmond's Evicted. As the author is at pains to point out, poverty isn't simply the result of evictions and homelessness, but...
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How do Belinda and Sherrena support each other?
Sherrena rents out properties to low-income individuals and families in the roughest neighborhoods of Milwaukee. Thanks to Belinda, a large part of her client base consists of individuals in...
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What challenges does Arleen face when trying to get approved for subsidized housing in Evicted?
In Matthew Desmond’s Evicted, Arleen Belle faces numerous challenges in her quest to achieve occupancy of a housing unit that is subsidized by the city of Milwaukee. The interconnected relevant...
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How did Matthew Desmond meet the individuals he interviewed in Evicted?
Evicted is made up of Matthew Desmond’s firsthand observations of the urban poverty he witnessed while he was living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The events in Evicted take place from 2008–2009, the...
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Compare and contrast the tenants (Sherrena and Tobin) of Evicted.
Just to be clear, Sherrena and Tobin are not tenants; they're landlords. Sherrena, an ex-teacher, is an African-American woman making a substantial amount of money renting properties in the...
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How did the fire start? Who is to blame?
Kamala rents an apartment from Sherrena at 18th and Wright. One night, the apartment catches fire. The blaze is started when one of Kamala's daughters knocks over a lamp when she gets out of bed....
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what are some of the solutions to the lack of affordable housing?
The author of Evicted, Matthew Desmond, offers some practical solutions to the housing crisis. His main proposal is for the introduction of vouchers as a means of institutionalizing affordable...
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How does a nuisance citation lead to eviction?
The relevant nuisance property ordinance allows the police to penalize landlords for their tenants' behavior. This costs landlords money, and reduces the profitability of their rental properties....
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What does the counselor mean by “you’re as sick as your secrets”?
This is a common expression used in meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other substance-abuse counseling groups. What it means is that one of the hallmarks of addiction is deception. Lies are...
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Do you think Larraine will ever get her stuff out of storage?
Larraine was unable to get her stuff out of storage after she was evicted; she simply couldn't afford to. So the eviction moving company took her things to a dump. The immediate cause of Larraine's...
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What is the toll of eviction on a person’s spirit?
Although eviction affects individuals differently based on varying circumstances, through examining the accounts presented in Matthew Desmond's Evicted, we can conclude that extreme stress is...
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Why does Scott help Teddy and not Jerry in Evicted?
Scott lives with Teddy in Tobin's trailer park. Both men have had substance abuse issues which have made it hard for them to get their lives back on track. Of the two, though, Scott is much more...
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Do you think families with children should receive any protection when seeking housing?
The United Nation’s Convention On The Rights Of The Child guarantees many rights to children—the right to education and of free expression but also the rights to leisure and play (article 31) and...
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Describe the mean or rude things that the landlords do to the tenants in Evicted.
Although Matthew Desmond shows some positive aspects of the landlords’ behavior, most readers will find it hard to sympathize with their actions. Desmond further shows that when tenants fall...
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In Evicted by Matthew Desmond, why did some tenants who fell behind on rent get evicted while others did not? What...
Matthew Desmond explains the complexities of the legal system in relation to tenant rights. The law offers some protection to people who cannot pay their rent, but the system is overburdened and...
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As social workers, what theories and practices can be employed to better understand and address poverty and evictions...
Social workers have become increasingly involved in eviction prevention efforts, both as individuals and as part of general professional approaches that emphasize tenant advocacy and coordination...
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Give one example of how their experiences in poverty are different from each other and would require different...
In Evicted, Matthew Desmond presents individuals in varied poverty-related situations who live, or have lived, in two locations: a small apartment building and a mobile home park. One aspect that...
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What were the circumstances that led to Arleen becoming reliant on welfare in Evicted?
Like many people on welfare, Arleen finds that her housing costs take a big bite into what little money she receives. At one of the many places she and her boys move into, her rent takes a massive...
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Why does Crystal enjoy church so much?
The church provides Crystal with a spiritual home, a vital support network at a time when she seems to have hit rock bottom. And things are pretty grim for Crystal; having been evicted, she's out...
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In general or in context with this book, what could the landlords have done to be fair with tenants?
The landlords depicted in the book are there to make money out of their tenants. They don't see themselves as providers of charity, or as glorified social workers. They provide accommodation to...
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What made Sherrena give up teaching to become an inner-city landlord?
Sherrena was bored with being a teacher. So after eight long years in the classroom she opened up her own day care facility. Unfortunately for her, the day care center was closed down on what she...
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How does waiting for services affect the poor?
Many Americans face the problems outlined in Evicted and struggle to meet the basic needs of food, shelter, and employment. An increase in rent, a personal emergency, or unexpected expenses can...
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Why does Ned disparage black people?
Ned's partner, Pam, has children from a previous relationship with an African American man. As such, those children are mixed-race. They act as a constant reminder to Ned of his family's lowly...
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What information do you think the author of Evicted is missing?
Although Matthew Desmond conducted a thorough study of the eviction problem in the United States in the 2000s, he might have done more, or he might have proceeded differently. The approach that...
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What are the tenants of the trailer park afraid of?
More than anything else, they're afraid of being forced to live in the predominantly black neighborhoods of Milwaukee's North Side. Living conditions at the trailer park are pretty horrendous, but...
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How do increased or frequent evictions affect a neighborhood?
While most of the scholarship on eviction has focused on the effects of eviction on the tenants being evicted, the cycle of eviction also affects neighborhoods. To a degree, how neighborhoods are...
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