Ragged Company (pages 1-178)
Ragged Company (Pages 185-376)
Heroes and heroines face tough tests on their journeys, and at times in helping others, often appear and aid them. Pick 2 instances in the novel, where a character was tested and who was the hero or heroine who came to his or her aid? Do you feel the hero or heroine could have done more to help that character? Lastly, think of an individual who you believe to be a hero or heroine and how has this person helped you through various tests in life when you needed help or support the most.
I feel the most connected with One for Dead, AKA Amelia One Sky. I have not lost my parents or a sibling to death but I've lost a lot of people due to their ignorance. I lost both a brother and a sister when I was 4 and I haven't seen them in 13 years, I know how it feels to lose someone you care so much about. I wish I was still that kid playing kitchen hockey with my big brother.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that Amelia has gone through is the hardship of homelessness which is something that I hope I never have to live through. Homelessness is an extreme issue in not only Canada but the entire world, but let's focus on just Canada. According to StatCan 2000-2009, 27% of men and 30% of women were homeless, and from 2010-2019, 21% of men and 38% of women were homeless. Notice the decrease in men and increase in women? "In Canada, almost 3% of people who make housing decisions for their household have experienced unsheltered homelessness, Note 1 while about 15% have experienced hidden homelessness." Some issues that cause homelessness are but are not limited to, deteriorating mental health, emotional or physical abuse, Lack of employment, severe family conflicts, being part of a marginalized community, and physical disabilities. And 30% of these people are natives, just like the group in Ragged Company.
Another issue that homeless people face is homeless shelters. While I want them to continue so many of them have rape, drugs, and other serious crimes. But why do they happen there? ",92% of a large, racially diverse sample of homeless mothers had experienced severe physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives." It's disgusting how many people face it in their lives, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 33 men, that's millions. Formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely to be homeless than people with a clean record due to being rejected from jobs and homes. Homeless people are also more likely to commit crimes in the wintertime just to get off the streets and in warm buildings with food.
The third and final issue homeless people face is anti-homeless architecture. So many cities have uneven benches, spiked underpasses, and bared benches. Cities are more likely to spend money on making homeless lives miserable than making the issue better. ""We’re building barriers and walls around apartment buildings and public spaces to keep out the diversity of people and uses that comprise urban life,” said Jon Ritter, an architectural historian and a clinical associate professor at New York University."" Why can't we help our citizens than just tell them they're not welcome?
Ace, I sympathize with what you have dealt with. Losing someone in that way can hurt just as much as a loved one dying. I’m happy you felt comfortable enough to share and make very personal connection to the character. I feel as though Amelia is a well written character who shows an accurate representation of depression and alcoholism. I 100% agree with you on the struggles homeless people face in today’s society. It truly is heart wrenching to see these statistics and I agree on all points you made. Anti-homeless architecture really stood out to me. This should not exist and its very discouraging as we are supposed to be living in a progressive society. If the funds used to make these burdens were used to aid the homeless, the world would be a better place.
DeleteI definitely agree with you the homeless population should not be that high especially not with the drastic statistics that show obvious discrimination towards those who are aboriginal or women. There should be a better system in place to prevent all abuse in homeless shelters, as it is one of the unfortunate realities of seeking help. Getting help should not have negative repercussions and there should be better support systems out there. I also agree that anti homeless architecture is disgusting. The fact that so many cities are willing to spend more money on making some lives harder than making lives better is sad and disgusting.
DeleteI feel like I relate best to Amelia One-Sky, or (One for The Dead). Although I have never lost anybody so close so quickly, it isn’t hard for me to understand the gravity of her situation or experiences. But with that said, I have had people so important to me that passed away. I was extremely close to my grandmother, unfortunately, she had stage four cancer and passed when I was ten years old. At the time, it was hard for me to stay motivated to do anything. It is super easy for somebody to go downhill when losing so many loved ones, especially in the way Amelia did.
ReplyDeleteAfter losing so many family members such as her brothers, and eventually her boyfriend, Amelia turned to alcohol to try and cope with the grief and shortly after, depression took over her life. And it wasn’t long before she had become homeless, on the streets. Amelia never had proper support after the deaths she’d gone through. She went to go live with her Uncle Jack for a while, but he was an alcoholic himself and couldn’t care for her anymore. I think Amelia’s situation is extremely unfair and people like her should be prioritized in the events of homelessness. She did not choose to be this way, but again had no support from anybody to help her escape the dangerous conditions that she was living in.
I think homelessness in Canada is extremely unfair, and we should at least have a government that is willing to make bigger efforts in trying to prevent homelessness in the near future for Canadians. The federal government in my opinion should prioritize its Canadian citizens first instead of just freely giving to other countries. But we must keep in mind that some people are lazy and just don’t want to work. But others, such as One for The Dead do not deserve this kind of life after going through such terrifying experiences. People like that need more support such as counselling and proper housing. It’s those kinds of things that will start to gradually help those in need.
I agree with what Ricardo is saying. Homelessness is very unfair, and the Canadian government should do more to help solve this current issue. While I do agree with giving money to other countries, we should take care of our own country first. Once all the major problems that occur in Canada are solved, we can then help other countries without having to worry about ourselves. Some people are homeless for reasons that they cannot control. These people should not be on the street if what happened to them is not their fault. There are others who do not work just because they do not feel like it. These kinds of people are not motivated and have no drive to bring them forward in life. If they do not want to get a job that is ok, but they must expect the consequences of their actions. One for The Dead suffered an extremely tragic life. The traumatising events that happened in her past were not her fault. She wanted to try and forget about her lost family members by drinking alcohol, but nothing she did worked. She deserves to have a home as her reason for homelessness was justified, with all that happened to her. I also agree with Ricardo, in that homeless people need proper counselling and support to help them get over traumatic events. This will allow them to be happy and make a change in their lives for the better.
DeleteOf all the characters presented to us in this book, I bonded with and understood Digger (or Mark Haskett in a past life) the most. As he was introduced, I found myself taking a liking to is overall persistent attitude, his matter-of-fact way of thinking, and his determined way of being. He was full of experience from a life lived, he was stubborn, and unabashedly vulgar. Though the thing that seems to have stuck with me the most was his backstory. Digger is a character who went from being the greatest in the world at one something special, only for his body to limit him severely one sudden day. Despite said limitations, Digger kept pushing. He thought that maybe somehow, if ignored enough, the problem would vanish. That the problem would solve itself. I can see myself in that. Pushing on in endeavors on nothing but determination, until the problem is too consuming to even attempt to push any longer. I understand the bitterness and anger he persisted through life with after losing what he had, his resentment of what could have been. Watching as he progressed, seeing him grow and change through that, becoming more understanding, more open, endeared him to me even more.
ReplyDeleteThough I cannot relate to his life as a homeless person, I’ve spent enough time listening to the stories of many a rounder to know that homelessness is quite a large issue in this country. Considering the circumstances of the society we live in and have built up, slipping through the cracks and onto the street is far too easy, while getting back out is a life’s worth of work. According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, it costs our country 7 billion dollars a year to do nothing of major change about the issue! A particular usage of this country’s money that I hold some resentment against is the introduction of more and more hostile architecture (architecture that is created specifically to restrict public behaviour, such as deterring homeless people who need a place to sleep at night) like spikes on flat surfaces, or bars in the center of benches to prevent laying down. These structures do not benefit anyone in the public, they harm more than they help. I feel as though the money would be better utilized to create opportunities, long-term solutions, and to help avoid others slipping into homelessness so easily. Clear examples of this could be more funding for safer shelters to lower crime and violence there, a program for homeless folk to settle into affordable and appropriate homes for a chance to slowly get back on their feet, programs to support the homeless minorities, who are treated even less kindly than their counterparts, and programs to target the specific needs of those who are chronically/episodically homeless (who may just be the most vulnerable and important part in the persistence of the homelessness issue).
Responding to Jameson’s post, I do understand the general like towards Digger’s character, as he is very no nonsense and is driven throughout the beginning of the book to keep his daily routine. He also has a very eye opening backstory that I feel we all can relate to in some way. When you really give something your all and sometimes that just isn’t enough. Digger can be a difficult character but one that we all could learn something from, how taking a step back and not losing who you are is more important than constantly trying to be okay.
DeleteI also agree with Jameson on the points that were made about the ridiculous structures built against homeless people, preventing them to do something as harmless as sleep on a bench. These structures are like stated by Jameson, causing more harm then good and the money used to fund those could be going towards actually helping them. I also think the ideas about the different programs that could be made to help the specific needs of the homeless would be a good idea because homeless minorities or ones with special need are treated even less even though they are the ones that need more, as previously stated. I think there was a very strong point made about how its easy to slip between the cracks and end up on the streets, but very hard to get back up. This point stuck with me and the idea following it about how more needs to be done to help prevent homelessness and how better and more affordable shelters need to be built for those already at that point who need support.
In the novel Ragged Company, the character I understand and bond with the most is Double Dick. Double Dick has a great imagination. This can be shown at the beginning of the book when him and his friends went to go see a movie for the first time in a while. The movie was in a foreign language, and he couldn’t understand the subtitles because he was never taught to read. Instead, he used the visuals of the movie and his imagination to understand and interpret the movie. I would do this too when I was younger and learning my first language, Urdu. One way I learnt Urdu was through movies in my language. It would be hard to understand the plot because I did not understand a lot of the words at the time, but I still loved the movies. The reason I did was because you did not need dialogue to understand the connection between the main characters. You could tell by the way they smiled, laughed, and comforted each other. They made the movies so much more meaningful. Double Dick could clearly see the connections between characters in the movies he watched, just like I did and still do.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe I could ever truly understand the situation that Double Dick is in, but I understand some of his feelings in this situation. When it was confirmed that Digger had won 13.5 million dollars, the first thing Double Dick felt was fear. Fear of the change that was about to come. His friends are like family to him, and he didn’t want that to change. I can understand this fear because even I feel like change can be scary. In a town that I have lived in most of my life with people I have known for most of my life, everything has always been the same. When we all graduate high school and go our separate ways, the change can be very exciting but scary at the same time. It’s scary knowing that your whole life is about to change and the people you have known all your life will eventually become strangers. Double Dick shares similar fears as I and doesn’t want his friends to become strangers to him after such a sudden change.
Personally, I hope I will never have to experience homelessness in my lifetime but that doesn’t change the fact that 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness each year. One thing that can increase your risk for being homeless is being Indigenous. Indigenous peoples make up 30% of homeless people in Canada, even though only 5% of Canada’s population is Indigenous. I feel horrible thinking about how so many Canadians have to live on the streets and struggle to have basic needs like food and water. One thing Canada can do to help homeless people in Canada is to eliminate the stigma and stereotypes about them. Most of the time, people do not give money to homeless people because they assume that each one of them will use it to buy drugs and alcohol. They forget they are living beings who are struggling. Another thing is to have more friendly architecture towards them. In bigger cities, there is architecture that keeps homeless people from sleeping. For example, benches with random arm rests in the middle. This makes something as basic as sleeping difficult for homeless people and makes it even harder for them to get back on their feet. Lastly, Canada should have more shelters, and programs where homeless people, or just struggling people in general, can go to for support during these difficult times in their lives.
Azwa, your relation to Dick is very compelling! I loved hearing your story about learning languages, and that the movie-watching tradition still carries on with you to this day. Your mention of fearing of the unknown was also quite touching to me, considering that you were correct in the fact that we all graduate from this school someday onto new lives. Through these two paragraphs, I seemed to notice the theme of Familiarity Through Change. The unknown ahead, but the comfort of a good movie to keep the roots of the past grounded and encouraged to grow, and that was a nice subtle tie-in.
DeleteI also agree with your stance on homelessness. Stigma is no joke and can be the difference between change and stagnation in the status quo. I can’t possibly imagine life with the combined stigmas of being both indigenous and homeless, but your point about the 40% statistic really highlights the problem.
I really relate to what you were saying about learning a language. Sometimes when i was little my parents would show me tons of movies from other cultures but i was not old enough to be able to read the subtitles very well so i understood the story through tones and visuals.
DeleteI also understood his fear of change very well, i think no one truly likes change. It is a scary and sudden thing to have what you know flipped upside-down, especially when you don't know what comes next.
People really need to understand that sometimes homelessness isn't the fault of the person at all. Getting rid of the stigma is very important.
I agree with Azwa with society needing to stop stigma and stereotypes on homeless people. Not all homeless people want only drugs and alcohol, but food and water as well. Canadas support system should be much stronger for homelessness considering Canada is known to be a country with “good people”. I believe that, especially after the coronavirus pandemic when many people lost their jobs, the support system for the homeless should have improved. I also agree with Azwas statements to make the current architecture more friendly. It is designed to stop them from sleeping in certain spots on the streets, but it is very unfair because sometimes the shelters are full and there is no choice but to sleep on the street, and then they have to deal with finding a comfortable spot which could be very difficult due to the ridiculous and unnecessary designs.
DeleteAll 4 of the main characters in the novel have very sad backstories, including Timber. I agree that stories and perspectives like his make other people have a more open and nonjudgmental mind when thinking about homeless people. One thing that Timbers character can prove is how things that happen in the past affect the person you become in the future. For example, when Timber fell in love with Sylvan, he gave her his whole heart only for it to be crushed by a tragedy. This tragedy is the reason he does not express his emotions or showcase his feelings like you said. I also find it ironic how the reason for him spiraling into depression and using alcohol as a coping method was because of a drunk driver who was most likely feeling a similar way that Timber is currently. I also agree with your ways on how to help homeless people in Canada. Society is against the homeless by not giving them enough of their time and energy. The government and the citizens of Canada should be doing more to help take care of the others in this country. By giving them basic necessities that are necessary for survival, access to support groups, education, and by not demonizing them and making their life harder than it should be Canada can help alleviate the problem of homelessness in their country.
ReplyDeleteIn this book, the character that I bond with and relate to the most, is One for The Dead (Amelia One Sky). Amelia suffered from losing all her close loved ones. She once lived a happy life filled with joy and excitement. Her life came crashing down as she lost her family members one by one. She had finally found love after all the hardships in her life, and even he did not stay for long. Everyone she had ever cared for had disappeared from her life. She resorted to alcohol, as she thought it would make her forget all the terrible things that had happened to her. It never worked, as throughout her entire life she would frequently be reminded of these traumatizing events by the shadowed ones. No matter what she did or where she went, her now dead family members would always “come pay her a visit”. She could not escape the harsh and cruel reality she had been dealt.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to One for the Dead, because I have also lost a family member in the past. It is difficult to get over the loss of somebody you loved and cared for. You wish that it never happened, or that you could see them one more time. Then you come to the realisation that you are never going to see them again. It hurts and makes it feel like there is a void in your life. It drags you down, sometimes making hard to get back up. Amelia One Sky never got to say a last goodbye to anyone she lost. All the events that led to her being homeless, happened suddenly. She did not expect her life to take such a bad turn. I understand her actions. I believe that almost anyone who would be “put in her shoes”, would do the exact same thing she did, if not worse. After all the things that happened, it was difficult for her to find motivation to keep on living. No one deserves to have the life that she does.
I find homelessness very sad and unbelievable. People become homeless for several different reasons. You can never tell why a person ended up on the streets, just by looking at them. Events that dramatically change the course of someone’s life can happen in the blink of an eye. Homeless people are judged when some of them can not control the outcome of their life. People who are born with disabilities that can not find work, do not have the choice and the opportunity of living a normal life. When citizens see homeless people on the streets, they usually ignore them. The least someone can do when coming across a person on the street is to wave and smile at them. You never know how little of an act can make someone’s whole day. It makes them feel like they are wanted and that they exist. I do not think that homelessness should be an issue in a country like Canada. I believe that Canada should do more to help the homeless. Every year, the percentage of people that deal with homelessness increases. I find it hard to believe that in a very wealthy country like Canada, this is even an occurring issue. The government prioritises spending their money on making homeless people feel “unwelcome”, rather than helping them. As time goes on, the cost of living keeps increasing with no signs of ever decreasing. The amount of homeless people in Canada is only going to keep going up if the government does not do more to combat this issue. I think Canada should allocate more money in their budget to help solve this problem. That money could be used to create housing for them. Then, money could be provided to help them contribute to the community, such as resources to find a job. Help could also be given regarding mental health problems such as, alcohol/drug addiction, etc. Having a place to stay should be someone’s right, not a privilege.
I wholeheartedly concur with Felix-Antoine comments. Having the right resources to help with a loss is crucial, losing family members or others close to you can leave a huge vacuum and induce sadness. The most heartbreaking words to hear are those that inform you that a loved one has passed away. Yes, not everyone of us can connect to Amelia One Sky's pain, but we can recognize how miserable she must feel. Homelessness is unpleasant to witness, as you noted. Many people accuse others of being homeless, but some choose to remain and are unwilling to work. Secondly, I completely concur with what you say regarding Canada's involvement in providing aid to those in need. It's okay if they choose not to look for work, but they must be prepared to live with the results of their decision. Lastly, I agree with what you say about instead of providing aid, the government places a higher priority on making homeless individuals feel "unwelcome". The expense of living keeps rising over time and shows no prospects of ever dropping. If the government does not take additional action to address this problem, the number of homeless individuals in Canada will only continue to rise. In my opinion, Canada should budget more money to address this issue. With such money, houses and shelters may be built for them.
DeleteI strongly agree with Felix on what he wrote about Amelia’s tragic life, and his input on what Canada should consider doing for the homeless. I find it very unfortunate that most people would only take one look, and base that look on what you think of someone. “Judging a Book by Its Cover” if that helps to explain what I wrote. Personally, I know what it feels like to get all the motivation sucked out of you when something happened you didn’t see coming, and I still couldn’t imagine going through a fraction of what Amelia went through. Felix raised a good point on how our government shouldn’t be spending their money, well… really our money on making the homeless feel “unwelcome”. I would really like to see these enormous amounts of money being put to good use for a change. If money were spent wisely by the government, I think we should at least have fewer people on the streets than we do now, and we can maybe see proper, safe housing and personal support provided for homeless Canadians.
DeleteThis is wonderful, keep up the excellent work everyone! All of these posts and responses are thought provoking and insightful. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI had a strong connection with Double Dick Dumont (Richard Richard Dumont) while reading this book. I do not have his level of experience or understanding of what it would be like to grow up on the streets. I really hope no one ever has to go through that. In this book, one thing that stands out is how much Dick enjoys watching movies. He watches movies to put things behind him. I understand that need to leave the world for an hour or two to have no thoughts and be alone by yourself. The fugitives is the movie he went to helped him forget about what had happened and how much money he had just received. Through him, I was able to connect to this novel since watching movies helps you disconnect from your worries and thoughts. Movies are also a great way to meet new people. My family and friends established a custom and a link to movies in my life. I developed that bond with a lot of my pals because we all love to relax and not have worry in the world. Movies can help me realize things I didn't even know existed, like real life, I remarked. You are in a different environment, concentrating on solely one thing.
ReplyDeleteIn Canada, 25,000 to 35,000 individuals may be homeless on any given night, and more than 235,000 people experience homelessness annually. Because housing costs are at an all-time high, the homeless problem is getting worse every day. More community support, housing assistance, shelters, daily life support, eviction prevention, services, and many other things can be provided by Canada to aid in the prevention of homelessness. It was certain that you would come across at least one homeless person while driving through a big metropolis and seeing them is always depressing. I was very moved by this scene when I was a kid. I've often questioned why I have a house and food, but they don't. Before my parents explained it to me, I had no idea what being homeless meant and had assumed that everyone had homes, loving families, and food on the tables every night. Now driving in the big cities, I close my eyes and pray for people I pass on the street in the hopes that they will one day have enough to eat or a have roof over their heads.
https://globalnews.ca/tag/homelessness
DeleteI agree with the comments sydney has made, I enjoyed reading the connections you have made with Double Dick. You made a great point by explaining how movies can be so much more than just a movie as they are a way to escape reality and unwind. I completely agree with your take on homelessness and your opinions on how the problem could be approached. Your thoughts on homelessness as a kid were very similar to mine and I am glad I was not the only one who assumed that everyone had homes and loving family’s until we were one day told that in life not everyone may be as fortunate.
DeleteI agree with Sydney in several ways. I may be a very busy, outgoing person but a good movie is one thing I will sit still for. A movie that is relatable, funny, a cartoon or even an action movie can always change my mood. It is very true how your thoughts from the “real world” leave and you connect your thoughts with the movie characters or the movie itself. Sydney also mentioned how when we were younger, we never had to worry about being homeless or having food on the table. But as you get older you come to realize not everyone comes from a loving family, community, well-fed home. Every time I see someone who is homeless, I as well hope one day they find a home, food, and a loving support system because after all that is someone’s child, sister, brother, and they deserve to live in a safe environment with a loving community.
DeleteHannah, I sympathize with your situation and very much understand the pain that is helpless letting go. Knowing that personal connection to Timber must have really deepened the story for you, which is evident in the connections you made. That factor of realization you went through is very touching in its own right: it illustrates how fictional media can help us manage our own internal conflicts and teach us a new perspective we may never have considered (like your new view on homeless people and their stories). Your thoughts on homelessness are quite just as well! 46$ per person a year really isn’t much, and yet it can provide so many resources, so many solutions to problems our government has simply ignored.
ReplyDeleteIn Richard Wagamese’s novel Ragged Company, I am drawn to the character Amelia One-Sky. This character has dealt with major losses and tragedies in her life which resulted in her being homeless. She has lost more loved ones in a short period of time then I wish to ever experience in my lifetime. Amelia’s family died one by one and later she also dealt with the loss of her boyfriend. She dealt with more than just loss, she found herself in a residential school as well. She had no proper guidance or support in dealing with these injustices’ which sent her down a very rough path of depression. Amelia dealt with her hardships through extreme alcohol abuse and this was very thought provoking. I started to question where Amelia could have ended up if she hadn’t started drinking and how different her life could have been. If she had taken a different path which in theory could have been heathier, I don’t believe she would have found her people or a sense of peace. I can relate to this character as I have also had losses in my life. I understand how these tragedies can accumulate into bad situations and how hard it can be to grieve.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have never dealt with the struggles of being homeless, I can understand at there is a major problem in Canada. Many people judge those who are homeless, but we will never truly know how they got into this position by ignoring the issue. Being homeless has been described as very isolating and dehumanizing and no one deserves to understand how this feel. I truly believe Canada could be doing more for these individuals. Stopping homelessness is a very difficult problem to tackle, therefore Canada should start with better supporting their citizens. By making mental health aid, and other types of financial aid more accessible, Canada can lower the percentage of homelessness. Research shows than an average of 35% of homeless people in general and up to 75% of homeless women have mental illnesses, and 20-25% experience both severe mental illness and addiction. Canadas government should find a way to budget more money for mental support to prevent homelessness and to build more accessible shelters for the already large number of homeless people.
I am in total agreement with Katie on how Amelia’s life could have been totally different if she had not resorted to alcohol to ease her pain. She may have kept her job and not been on the streets but that doesn’t mean that she would have been better off. As Katie had already said, if her life didn’t end up the way that it did, she may not have found her “people”. Because of this even if she wasn’t on the streets, she may have been lonely and completely disliking her life. Personally, I think that would have been worse. Everything seemed to happen for a reason because while she was on the streets, she was also able to help others who were and struggling, which seemed to make her happy. She was also able to find friends that helped filled the void of her family which lead her to become a millionaire. As for Katie’s next point I also agree that mental illness is a huge factor in this type of thing. I think that people need to stop brushing it off as them being “crazy” and doing something to help. If they receive the help that they need they can live a perfectly normal life dealing with it. In the end, I don’t think we will ever be able to completely stop homelessness, but I do believe a lot more can be done to prevent it.
DeleteBased off what we have learned about each character in the first two books of this novel I connect best with Digger. Although I don’t relate much to his way of life as a child or as an adult on the streets, I relate to how he feels and thinks inside. First, near the end off book two when Dick was hospitalized due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed, Digger believed that it was his fault. This caused him to over think and put more of it onto himself then he should have. That is something that I tend to do a lot. I tend to over think every little thing and when one thing goes wrong, I am very hard on my self about it. I also feel as though I can sympathize for how he would have felt after losing the ability to do the thing that he is the best at and not knowing anything else. Even though nothing like this has ever happened to me, I’m able to get an idea of how he may have felt because if I was ever injured or something happened to me that I wouldn’t be able to ride or compete my horses, I am not sure what I would do with myself. I have so many years invested in it that it would be tragic for all of that to go to waste.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways I believe I can relate to the entire Ragged Company. This is because they all began going to view the movies originally to escape the coldness of the winter and then, to escape the reality of their feelings. I think everybody has some sort of coping mechanism like this. For me, I have two of them. The main one would be the barn, when things are tough, or I need to clear my mind going to see my horses is what comforts me. Another strategy that I use to clear my mind is running. I find that listening to my music and feeling the fresh air puts me into my own world where I can deal with my feelings.
It is clear that homelessness is a reality for many people anywhere you go, especially cities. It is very sad to see especially not knowing everyone’s story behind how they ended up there. In my opinion, there are two types of homeless. One would be the people who may have had some sort of tragedy in their life, and they lacked the resources they needed when they were going through a tough time that led them to being on the streets. The other kind would be people who may have gone through the same thing but ignored the resources they were given usually due to drug and alcohol abuse. These are the ones who no matter how much they are helped their poor decisions will continue to let them down. In each scenario there needs to be more support. I think we would see a big decrease in homelessness if there were more resources for the ones who are struggling to make ends meets and on the verge of homelessness. I also think that it would be effective to begin to teach the ones who are on the street how to get their lives back together instead of just giving them money allowing them to fall back into their old habits. This is just my opinion but, I believe things as simple as those ideas could make a big difference.
I feel the character I understood the best was likely Double Dick. Something that was touched on a few times in the book was that Dick has a hard time navigating certain things. Like during the interview, he felt uncomfortable with the whole thing, as he didn’t like giving information to someone he didn’t know the name of. The book also draws direct parallels between him and Rain Man, and both of these I can rather relate to, being someone with autism myself. As well, despite the hardships of the world he lives in, Dick has alot of softness to him, which I find very admirable. In a world that hard, he still manages to find wonder, he still looks at the birds.
ReplyDeleteAs for what can be done to alleviate the issue of homelessness, I have quite literally absolutely no idea. There are obvious answers, like abolishing anti-homeless architecture and strengthening social safety nets, but this issue is just so godawfully broad that I cannot think of anything that would just. Fix it. Sometimes the streets become a home, a home that’s rather hard to leave. Sometimes any home that one could actually go back to is worse. Sometimes the idea of home altogether brings back things one does not want to remember. Sometimes you’re not well enough, physically or mentally, to work. Sometimes the streets are just the place that’s easiest to find something that can make you sleep softly at night, or to slow your thoughts. I have no idea how one would solve this.
I think Digger is the character I relate to the best. His rough personality and coldness to the world is something I can relate to. When the gang first meets him, he chases them away and yells at them. This demonstrates how he has a spikey outer shell that he uses to protect himself from others. Life on the streets is not easy and Digger is used to being alone and doing everything alone, trusting anyone could be is downfall. As the book progresses his personality continues to be the same. I feel the same way he does. Sometimes the day feels like survival and trusting someone could a fatal mistake.
ReplyDeleteNot all homeless people stay on the streets, sometimes they get their life back on track, but it is never easy. The way our society works often makes it very hard for the homeless to turn their life around. For example, to get a job or a bank account you need an address and even for some government help programs you need an address. People often end up homeless because they lose what is making them money and can find a way to ether get it back or seek something else, Digger in this book became homeless because his physical health declined, making it harder for him to work at the job he was good at.
All homeless people have a story of how they ended up, but when people pass them on the street they often ignore them or pretend they don’t see them. I think it is sad that when you become homeless it is easy for you to become invisible, forgotten. We have shelters for the homeless but they it is shown in the book a lot of them have developed a phobia of enclosed spaces. They make them nervous with out being in the open. This makes it harder for them to get help. A lot of homeless people have mental illness like in the book Amelia and the shadowed people she sees. Even though we have government programs to help people they don’t seem to be working.
I think I best bond with and understand Granite. I relate to his situation in losing loved ones and losing passion in a major interest due to this. While I am not as fond of writing as Granite is I do have some interest in it when there is something I find interesting I also bond in the fact of winding up in an unlikely friendship circle mostly accidentally and willing to help those friends no matter what. For example, how Granite was very willing to help Amelia and the others redeem the lottery ticket when they needed it with little hesitation. Although I've never had to redeem a lottery ticket, I am always very willing to help my friends even in the most unimportant or the most severe situations they encounter.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though homelessness in Canada is a large issue and something that needs to be resolved. While homelessness is caused by a number of factors including poverty, mental or physical issues leading to people being unable to work or salaries not paying enough there are ways the government can help. Rather than have people living on streets and starving. The Canadian government could resolve the homeless issue is to provide cheaper housing to those who genuinely need it. Another way government can help is basic income, basic income in simple terms is a program where those who either don’t have a job or an underpaying job receive a monthly salary from the government that allows people to afford an apartment and food and other basic necessities. Also giving respect to the homeless is important from citizens and from those in authority, removing anti-homeless structures around cities to allow those who need to have comfort on the street.
The character I feel I have connected with most throughout the book is Digger. This character sticks out to me because of the way he thinks, handles situations, and deals with emotion. When Digger was first introduced to us his stubbornness immediately stuck out to and made me reflect on myself and how I react with my own sense of stubbornness. While I read about digger I imagine an independent person who would choose to handle things on their own rather than asking for help, who would prefer to learn from their own mistakes and hard times to set them up to become a wiser person. Although Digger may come out to be a little rough around the edges because of his stubbornness and tough attitude I believe he is a lot softer on the inside and it is just his way of coping and dealing with emotion by becoming more independent. All though Digger and I are extremely different we are similar in how we think perhaps our personality’s are different but our stubbornness connects us more than I would of known.
ReplyDeleteHomelessness to me is a difficult subject since all of us as humans are so quick to judge each other for everything. We are often quick to think that seeing a homeless person on the streets means that they have done this to themselves whether it was a bad decision or bad luck. This book has shown us that this is not always the case for some, then for some homelessness was caused by tragedy and no matter what they did it was out of their hands. I also believe that looking into the future homelessness in Canada will only worsen due to the fact that the cost of housing is sky rocketing. In my opinion what should be done to help this issue is that the government act on this issue and create a plan to budget more money to decrease homelessness in Canada.
While reading the novel Ragged Company, I realized that I could understand One for the Dead. (Or Amelia One sky.) Although I have not gone through the amount of grief and loss as she has, I still feel as though I can bond best with her character. At 13 almost 14, I lost someone in my family that I was very close to due to their mental health. They have not passed away, just decided it would be best to not have me be a part of their family anymore in order to heal. Because of this I lost that whole side of family. I had to move houses and say goodbye to my cat. It was very hard at the beginning but then I realized that people would come and go in life, even the ones that u would never expect, but you will always have the people that you need. Amelia has lost her whole family and the love of her life, and because of the poor support system she had, she turned to alcohol to try and forget. It didn’t help and she became very depressed, and it didn’t take long for her to become homeless. By the time she began to heal from her past, it was too late.
ReplyDeleteOne for the Dead met her 3 friends Double Dick, Timber, and Digger. She has stayed loyal to them and will always be there to help them. She will use the little money she has to take them to watch movies. After everything she has been through, she created her life with these people and has stayed positive with them regardless of the fact that they are homeless. When Digger found the lottery ticket that was a winner for thirteen and a half million, she did not expect for him to share, and most in her position of life would be jealous, she was happy for him. Although she is only a fictional character, I have much respect for her.
Homelessness is a huge problem all over the world including Canada. It is extremely unfair and there should be better resources for them to live a more comfortable life. I understand that no matter what there will always be homeless people and that we can’t help them all, but I do believe that society can do a better job to help. Not all homeless people have access to a good shelter and have no other choice but to sleep on the streets. But the architecture in some areas is designed to stop them from seeking shelter by placing spikes, bars, and many other objects to make sleeping almost impossible. I find this cruel and useless because they are not affecting anyone by trying to have a comfortable spot to sleep, and yet the government creates hostile architecture. Each year there is more than 235,000 homeless people in Canada. Ontario has many shelters for homeless people, but Toronto has released data showing that on average 40 people a night are being refused to stay at a shelter due to lack of beds, and therefore they are forced to stay on the streets. I believe that instead of using money to create architecture to prevent homeless from sleeping on the streets, it should be used to put many more shelters with more than enough beds, so no one is turned away at what’s supposed to a shelter for them.
The character that I bond and relate to most is Digger. I feel Digger and I both seem to be the comedic relief in poor situations. Digger seems to lighten the room when he walks in by saying a joke or even just his positive attitude. Those who know me can agree I express comedic relief in our friend group or can agree I can simply say something and get laugh out of it. Digger is outgoing and does not seem to be shy in most situations. I have always been known as the social, outgoing kid, who most definitely is not shy. Digger and I seem to both have bad days which may show in our actions, but for the most part we have a positive attitude and welcoming personality.
ReplyDeleteHomelessness in Canada has had a huge increase over the past years. As the years go on prices go up but wages do not, I feel that is the biggest issue regarding why homelessness has become more common. Due to inflation the living expenses, rent and even food have gone up, which makes living very hard when you do not have much. In the book most of the characters had a past of mental health. Sometimes people who may be struggling do not get the support they need, which may lead to some bad decisions and in some cases, homelessness. For those reasons I feel that is why homelessness in Canada has had a significant increase.
Responding to Coopers blog, after reading the part about Digger and his most apparent character traits and Coopers relation to his traits I realized that Digger wasn’t as cold and harsh as the author made him out to be at times. Like Cooper said ‘’ Digger seems to lighten the room when he walks in by saying a joke”. Sometimes Digger would come off as sharp, rude and cold to people but after paying attention to his interactions with Granite he isn’t always this way and mostly does it to break a silence or a mood set by other characters.
DeleteToday in Canada homelessness is still rising more then ever, this horrible reality is found across Canada in all its major cities. Nearing the end of 2022 the population of Canadians on the street was roughly 250,000. A report done by Mila Kalajdzieva which was written thru Reviewlution discussed that this number has been rising continuously over the years because of reasons such as poverty, domestic violence or lack of employment. Homelessness also rose a great number during the pandemic. With shelters closing or reducing the number of beds they offer to follow protocols. The pandemic also pushed many people into homelessness from things like losing their job, hours cut, expenses rising etc.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Ragged company by Richard Wagamese I was shown an entirely different side of homelessness then I knew existed. I learned that for some people that’s there way of life and anything but that seems overwhelming and scary, I was also shown that homeless people aren’t always crumbling addicts that don’t look for anything other then that, but that the 4 from Ragged company show love, compassion, empathy and respect to each other even given there situations.
Out of the 4 I find I have grown to respect and bond with “Digger” the most. Diggers story is rather simple, living on the corner of a farmer’s land because his mother was Métis. His father collected welfare which didn’t sit well with Digger, the idea of not working for your money didn’t seem right. Throughout his child hood he bonded with the farmer and would sometimes get a meal or some cloths that didn’t fit his kids anymore. Diggers work ethic shined through when one day he was offered 10 dollars to help setup a Farris wheel at a carnival. Digger fell in love with the act, he eventually spent his days there then left without a trace to be on the road. He became the best but life crept up on him and his body couldn’t handle the hard labour and he was laid off. This turn of events left Digger turning to alcohol as a substitute which was a downwards spiral to him being on the street.
I understand Diggers story and why it went the way it did. If Digger hadn’t grew up in a home that couldn’t support his dreams or aspirations he could have gone to bigger and better things. Instead, Digger went on the road at 15 with no plan or guidance, Digger didn’t plan for his old age which I feel is the biggest reason he fell out of line.
My opinion on solving homelessness revolves around housing and lowering the costs for a person looking to rent a home. While missions and shelters and a temporary solution to the problem they won’t ever fix it. I feel that money given to foundations, and such is more beneficial to something long term like community housing, food relief and other things that help guide someone out of homelessness. My thoughts on the topic and shifted this way because of the rise of homeless. Homeless shelters and relief centres will be more crowded then ever. I hope to see a change in Canadas attention to the housing problem in Canada soon. I don’t think we will ever see the day that there are no homeless, but I aspire to see and change soon.
While I agree with what you said about lowering rent I don't believe it's feasible as people still need to make money. A lot of people make a living off of being a landlord which means they won't make enough money to live and become homeless themselves. While it would be amazing if they didn't have to pay the obscene amounts for what's essentially a box with a toilet. I think maybe a better option would be more access to jobs for the homeless as a lot of them are rejected from jobs due to being homeless.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the characters in this book I feel like I connected the most with Amelia One Sky (One for The Dead). I feel that I best relate and understand Amelia, not because I’ve been through her exact same experience. How I relate to Amelia is that I understand how she felt about losing her loved ones and the impact it had on her. My situation isn’t as extreme as Amelia’s but I still connect with losing loved ones, I lost 3 of my grandparents within a couple of months. I found that it was very hard to stay motivated because it was my first time losing a family member and I lost 3 in a very short period of time. I understand that it is very easy for someone to go downhill and become very unmotivated and sometimes worse when they lose loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI think homelessness in Canada is a huge problem. Any major city you go to you see people begging for money and sleeping on the street. It doesn’t matter how much we ignore it it’ll always be a big problem in our cities and country. I believe if there was more aid for homeless people such as more programs to help them get back on their feet that are easily accessible. I think it is very unfair that people are out on the street getting no help and are struggling to survive because of something that they can’t control. There are some exceptions, such as people who chose to live that life or just didn’t put in the effort to not fall into homelessness. I still believe that they deserve help and that our country should put more effort into helping Canada’s homeless population.
In the book Ragged Company, I bond and relate to One for the Dead the most. Amelia (One for The Dead) has arguably the most saddening past because of the deaths in her family. She lost her brothers and parents at an early age making her resort to poor coping mechanisms like drug use and becoming an alcoholic. As we continue to read the book, we continue to see how her life was affected by the tragedies. Amelia says the shadows guide her and she hears them, indicating that either she is still in pain over her lost loved ones and/or that she refuses to acknowledge that they are no longer with her.
ReplyDeleteI felt more connected to Amelia than the other characters because of the tragedies that have struck her life. I’m not saying that I have felt the level of sadness that she has, but more of how our reactions to death are similar. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a big family and with that I’ve seen many pass on. Amelia’s ways of coping with the tragedies that struck her life in similar to mine as in we both took it out on ourselves . I never fell into drugs or drinking but I refused to see anything else but the pain I was feeling. Amelia shows that she has learnt to understand the deaths and keep moving on with her life, but when my family members/ friends have died I’ve completely shut down everything that made me whole. I relate to One for The Dead the most because we have both undergone deaths in our families and learnt to push through the sadness and keep moving forward.
Homelessness is a growing situation in Canada for a multitude of reasons. It can be caused by addiction, family issues, or even marital issues but to most of the people in Canada it’s not strictly because of those issues. Homelessness is arguably one of the worst situations any human being could possibly be in because of the disrespect you receive because people believe you’re a bum, or just general classism when people believe they’re better then you because of their situation. The homeless deserve as much respect as anyone else which is why the only way to alleviate this “problem” is to show compassion from all levels as Canadians. We as people who are more fortunate in this country should try to make it better for everyone here. We should stop demanding action from the highest levels of government and show that at all levels of Canadian status care about other Canadians. This isn’t a problem of living conditions , this is a problem of a lack of effort from all of Canada.