There Are No Children Here

Who are the main characters of your book? Describe their personalities and what seems to motivate them.


First and foremost you need to know about my book before you know anything about the characters within it. I'm reading There are no Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz, a freelance journalist for The Wall Street Journal. Its a non-fiction book that was first inspired when Kotlowitz was doing an article on a family in poverty, living in 'the projects' of Chicago. One thing led to another and soon Kotlowitz grew close to the family and decided to write an entire novel about their lives and all the conflict and struggle they had prevailed through thus far.

The two main characters in this novel are 9 year old Pharoah Rivers and 11 year old Lafeyette Rivers. Pharoah is a typical little brother, rambunctious, naive, and alway looking up to Lafeyette as a role model. However, Pharoah has seen and experienced a lot of things the average 9 year old hasn't. Living in poverty, his life is full of dangerous events that could potentially turn deadly due to gangs and other such elements. One time Pharoh, Lafeyette, and some other boys were playing by the rail road track, trying to find a gardener snake, when a train full of white, middle class people rolled by. In fear for their lives the boys hide amongst the weed because they have heard that if they are caught trespassing they will be shot (Kotlowitz 7). Living in such harsh conditions has caused Pharoah to grow up and also lower his general expectations. When he and the boys are playing around the tracks, Pharoah described how he found this place to be relaxing and quite enjoyable. The fact that such a disheveled place is a nirvana to him show that his average way of live lacks in luxuries.

Lafeyette is the other main character, at the age of 11 he has to rise above the poverty that surrounds him and be there to guide his younger brother and to help his mother. He once said to Kotlowitz, "If i grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver," (Kotlowitz x) not only does this express his low expectations for himself, but it shows that this unstable lifestyle has led Lafeyette to even doubt his future, by use the word 'if'. The fact the his survival is up in the air is a terrifying concept for me. I have planned my life off the idea that I will live well into my adulthood and probably become a senior citizen. To be unsure that you will endure life and what it has in store to the point that you don't even plan the up coming years of your life is unthinkable to me and the majority of people I know. Finally, we have to remember that these kid are in fact kids. They have gained integrity, knowledge, and character from their harsh conditions but they are only 9 and 11.