Chase Kelln FMP 403 April 29, 2024 Themes of “The Florida Project” Final Paper "The Florida Project," directed by Sean Baker, offers a true-to-life exploration of the overlapping themes of childhood innocence and the reality of financial struggle set within a strip of tourist traps on the outskirts of Disney World. An online review of Kissimmee Florida sums up the setting perfectly in which it says, “There is no culture here and really the entire area is a giant dirty strip mall. The main road is nothing but decaying, outdated hotels, flashing lights from cheap t-shirt shops and billboards. The weather is hot, humid and 90% of the time unpleasant” (Jon). Within this setting, the film provides a blunt and gritty glimpse into the lives of people …show more content…
In this essay, we will look into how "The Florida Project" expertly intertwines these themes, offering an interesting portrayal of both the resilience of children and the challenges faced by marginalized communities. By examining the stark contrasts between childhood innocence and socioeconomic realities, we will uncover the film's deep message on the human spirit's capability for resilience in the face of hardship. The "The Florida Project" offers viewers a look into the poor community living in the shadow of Disney World. Amidst the bright colors of rundown motels and the hustle and bustle of the surrounding tourist traps, the film exposes the realities faced by characters like Halley, a single mother in her 20s living off welfare and struggling to make ends meet. Baker paints a raw picture of poverty in Kissimmee, displaying the daily challenges of finding steady shelter, sourcing food, and finding employment. A display confirmed by the 26% poverty rate from 2018-2022 per census.gov, and the 22.2% of the population on food stamps in 2016 per
The children in this book at times seem wise beyond their years. They are exposed to difficult issues that force them to grow up very quickly. Almost all of the struggles that the children face stem from the root problem of intense poverty. In Mott Haven, the typical family yearly income is about $10,000, "trying to sustain" is how the mothers generally express their situation. Kozol reports "All are very poor; statistics tell us that they are the poorest children in New York." (Kozol 4). The symptoms of the kind of poverty described are apparent in elevated crime rates, the absence of health care and the lack of funding for education.
In the book “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz, the author followed the lives of two young brothers (Lafayette and Pharoah) while they grew up in the harsh streets of Chicago in the late 1980’s. The author uses the story of the two boys’ lives to discuss the social divide in our very own society and to persuade readers that there is a major problem in “the projects” of the United States.
The idea of this essay is to explain how poverty is being represented the wrong way by nonprofit organizations here at home. The author uses the title to explain to the readers that poverty is not being represented the correct way. The way organizations represent poverty is by using images from a third world country instead of using pictures of people that live here at home that are living at poverty. The author explains how there are children here in America that need help just to get their basic needs, she explains “There are so many children like her – children that are deprived of their basic necessities right here in America” (George 668). The author is referring to “Mandy”. The picture of the girl on the Children Inc. flyer. She looks normal but she is need of help. The title gives an understanding to the reader about what is about to be
The film’s brilliance lies in the choice to show three distinct familial units with varying and different responses to their disadvantaged circumstances. The three boys who are the main subject of this film each experience a set of challenges and disadvantages associated with growing up in poverty. Appachey lives with his mother and younger siblings and has little to no adult supervision because his single mother must work long hours to support the family. Harley lives with his grandmother because his mother is incarcerated for attempting to kill the man who sexually abused her son. Harley suffers from anger and personality disorders and has a difficult time fitting in at school. Andrew lives with his father, mother and sister but is subject to repeated and frequent moves due his father’s inability to secure stable employment. His mother also suffers from significant mental illness and bouts of manic
The children in the film were from various ethnic and religious backgrounds, and were from predominately low-income families. In the film, the children and some parents expressed their opinions and concerns
For majority of african American children that live in the inner-city ghettoes the idea of having dreams seem just that a dream. Dreams that will not become realities because of the poverty stricken neighborhoods and violent lifestyle cycles of their parents. Alex Kotlowitz's THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE: THE STORY OF TWO BOYS GROWING UP IN THE OTHER AMERICA, makes the reader aware of the plagues most inner-city children and youth in American ghettoes.
It is not difficult to document that poor children suffer a disproportionate share of deprivation, hardship, and bad outcomes. More than 16 million children in the United States – 22% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level – $23,550 a year for a family of four. (Truman, 2005) Living in poverty rewires children 's brains and reports show that it produces prolonged effects. Also, growing up in a community with dangerous streets, gangs, confused social expectations, discouraging role models, and few connections to outsiders commanding resources becomes a burden for any child. The concern about the number of children living in poverty arises from our knowledge of the problems children face because of poverty.
As the Film Poor Kids continued on it became more and more apparent that the main issue was poverty among children in the United States. It needs to be first recognized
Is it possible to need reasons to move to Florida? After all, the Sunshine State is hardly a backwater nor does it battle with nasty winter conditions. Still, if your boss comes to you and says he wants you to establish a new base in Fort Meyer or Kissimmee, you should seriously consider Florida and for the following 12 reasons.
In understanding how my worldview was subconsciously constructed by my life experiences from the past nineteen years, I had to first think about my roots. I was born in Tampa, Florida to a Puerto Rican mother and white father. They divorced when I was too young to remember, and while I did have a relationship with my dad, I lived with my mother and was raised in a tight-knit Puerto Rican family, often times being cared for by my grandmother. I was an only child for ten years which I’m sure has impacted my personality, and at ten I got a baby sister whom I am very close to. Growing up in Florida was interesting because I was half white and half Hispanic, which mirror the main demographics of Florida well, but I never quite fit in with either group because while I look very white and this is what people perceive me as, I was not raised by the white side of my family but rather the Puerto Rican side. Still, I don’t quite fit into this group either because I don’t speak perfect Spanish at home and most Hispanic people treat me as an “outgroup” and not one of them.
Vacation is the one thing that people look forward to throughout the year. People usually think of it as a time to relax, unwind, and enjoy an amazing tropical getaway. Maybe it’s chilling at the beach or taking the night out, vacation is always something fun for anyone. Imagine yourself soaking in the sun, laying by the shore, breathing in the salty air, and laying under a palm tree. People can experience this all right along the island of Key West. Key West is an exciting vacation for the whole family to enjoy that includes snorkeling to amazing seafood.
The Florida Everglades is one of the most diverse wetland ecosystems in the United States. These tropical wetlands span an area of more than seven hundred square miles in southern Florida. The term Everglade means river of grass. The system starts in central Florida near Orlando and travels southwest to the tip of Florida. The Everglades has a wet season and a dry season which causes a great change in hydrology. During the wet season the system is a slow moving river that is sixty miles wide and over a hundred miles long. During the dry season water levels drop and some areas will completely dry up. The Everglades has many different aquatic environments all having interdependent ecosystems. The most important factor for all these environments is water. It helps shape the land, vegetation, and all the organism that live in each area. Each environment has particular needs for the organisms living in that area. Throughout the years humans have diverted the water to fit their varying needs. The state has built dikes and levees, dug canals, and have built locks to divert the water. This has all been done to keep areas completely dry for developing and agricultural needs. Today, The Everglades is half the size of its original size. Throughout the years many restoration acts have been created and updated. The Everglades restoration projects have been the most expensive environmental repairs in The United States. This is because The Everglades is one of the three most important wetland areas in the world. The Everglades National Park is the home of thirty six protected species including the West Indian Manatee, the American Crocodile, and the Florida Panther. The Everglades also homes hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals, and repti...
Anna Quindlen, a celebrated novelist and winner of a Pulitzer Prize, writes “Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Kids.” The essay gives a window into life for impoverished citizens in our country and the how families struggle to survive in this system. Families are struggling just to survive with the little government assistance they receive. The quality and space in a shelter or even government provided living is atrocious and, to be frank, borderline unlivable. Quindlen describes a family of six cramped into a single bedroom, an inexcusable and terrible way to live and yet better than nothing at all (332). Children of families that have to live in situations like this grow up not knowing stability or security. Quindlen, passing on the sentiments of the children who live in these housings: “The older kids can’t wait to get out of this one” and “He’s humiliated, living here” (332). These kids are stricken by poverty and want nothing more than to have their own
New York City is claimed to be one of the greatest cities in the world. Many are blinded by the breathtaking skyline, the endless opportunities, and the hustle and bustle of the streets. As one of the economic capitals of the world, it is surprising to hear that about 30 percent of children currently residing in New York City are living in poverty (Cheney). New York City has evolved into a city for the wealthy by eliminating inexpensive housing and jobs, forcing many families to the streets (Elliot). Many are unaware of how prevalent child poverty is. To raise awareness, the New York Times did a series of articles that followed the life of a young girl named Dasani. The article highlights the brilliance that Dasani had at such a young age and emphasizes the everyday struggles that she had to face growing up as a child in poverty. Some ways that can lower the amount of child poverty is through after school programming and through work-for-rent housing.
This film was written and produced in the middle of the Great Depression, and the depiction of the poverty and unemployment is very evident throughout the entire film.