In chapter 15 of The Mole People by Jennifer Toth, we learned that there are outreach programs to help the homeless in the tunnels. The outreach programs are ADAPT which stands for, Association for Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment and HELP which stands for Homeless Emergency Liaison Project. ADAPT is a nonprofit organization that is funded by the New York Health Department to provide the outreach programs for the homeless. HELP is a service to aid the mentally ill homeless people in the tunnels (Toth 151). HELP is the only organization that “can forcibly eject the homeless from the tunnels on grounds of mental illness and commit them to hospitals” (Toth 152). Chapter 15 is important to include in The Mole People because ADAPT and HELP aid to keep people safe down in the tunnels as much as they possibly can. By having these programs, this allows the homeless to get out, of course only if that was a wish of theirs to seek help. This chapter shows hope for the homeless in the tunnels because people outside of the tunnel care about them and want them to be safe.
In chapter 16, we are introduced to Dark Angel; he is five foot seven with a slim body type, white with brown slicked-back hair and bloodshot eyes. As Henry explains, “’He is a dangerous individual,’ he says. ‘Very dangerous’” (Toth 167). The name, Dark Angel, could be referring to not only that he is evil but also a symbol of how deep he is within the tunnels. Chapter 16 is important to include because the Dark Angel is the ruler of the underground tunnels. Everyone fears him and they do whatever he wants for him. He has set a standard for himself, which is to be feared and avoided. Dark Angel created the most unsafe aspect for Jennifer. She had gotten use to the mole people but the Dark Angel made her fear the tunnels. She resulted to talking to others about him, the Dark Angel, to get information about him. Another reason why this chapter is a vital aspect to The Mole People is to explain that regardless how comfortable you get in the tunnels, there is always going to be something dangerous and Dark Angel allows us to witness this.
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Lyndsay brings up an interesting point in her discussion of chapter 16 in which she mentions one reason the chapter is so important to the book -- because it reminds the audience that "there is always going to be something dangerous". I think that this point can be made for chapter 15 as well. Harold Deamues tells Toth of the fear that tunnel folk have of the shelters above ground, of "rape or beating or getting killed", showing the audience that going above ground does not necessarily bring about change or even safety (Toth 161).
ReplyDeleteIn comparison, those who come from above ground to the tunnels fear Dark Angel. Those who come down but then return to their homes above realize the danger in the tunnels as easily as those in the tunnels can see the danger of the surface. Each chapter explores a frightening thing -- but also attempts to give both sides of the story. For instance, some tunnel folk recognize that allegiance to Dark Angel, although based upon fear, gives stability.
Something else that interests me about the placement of the two chapters is their referencing of the divine. The last lines of chapter 15 speak of the workers of HELP and ADAPT, comparing them to workers of God (Toth 163). This description is placed right next to one of a character that claims supernatural powers and believes himself to be the devil. Referencing the divine seems extreme and significant to me. However these ways of viewing Dark Angel and the efforts made to help tunnel folk can highlight a clear relationship between them. ADAPT and HELP, although at times conflicting with one another, seek to remove and make sure that the homeless remain out of the tunnels. Dark Angel distinctly opposes this. He subsists on the fear of those around him, "[living] better" by their means (Toth 167). Dark Angel uses the fear of other tunnel dwellers to legitimize his position while the agencies HELP and ADAPT attempt to further themselves by bringing (or taking) tunnel dwellers away, placing themselves and Dark Angel in direct opposition.
Rather than thinking that there is *something* dangerous in the tunnels, I would like to include that it is like likely that there is *someone* who is dangerous. Though Dark Angel is the extreme case, in chapter 11 we see characters like Bob and Flip who are con artists or thieves. Even in a community with order and hierarchy, there are still going to be people who are unmotivated, or perhaps do not have enough pride to make a respectful effort to earn money, and therefore take advantage of others. The reason that I blame their unethical lifestyle on pride is because I feel that characters in chapter 11, such as Bernard and Tom, try to be self sufficient and make a respectable living because they are pleased with themselves. They brag about what they were in the past or the resources that are available to them. They are satisfied enough with their lives to accept it and therefore are not a danger to others.
ReplyDeleteCora, you brought up a great point, relating the end of chapter 15 to chapter 16. In the chapter 15, the last sentence compares the outreach programs to workers of God (Toth 163). To add to this point, I would like to say this is like light in the novel. God represents light and Dark Angel represents dark. Not only do we see this as a good and bad contrast, we can relate this metaphor to the depth of the tunnels. Above ground, where ADAPT and HELP are, there is light and people are living their lives and enjoying it. But on the other hand, below ground, where Dark Angel is, there is not light which means that most of the people underground are not loving life and most of the homeless people in the tunnels have mental illnesses. Relating God in chapter 15 and the Devil in chapter 16, we see that there is a clear metaphor to light. Light and dark are being represented not only as evil and good and bad, but also the differences between the levels of the tunnels and how much light peeks through.
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