Hull House

Due date: 02/21/11 Tracy Slayter

Hull House Exercise

All answers should be in paragraph form and in your own words (no quotes).

This exercise must be typed.

Chapter 1 (12 points)

At the beginning of Chapter 1, Jane Addams states that she is going to discuss her childhood because that is the time when "character is formless but nevertheless setting into definite lines of future development." After reading Chapter 1, choose three incidents from Jane Addams' childhood which influenced her character development, briefly describe each incident, and tell what character trait resulted from it.

Being the "young" one

This may have been where Jane Addams personality and development truly began. The constant trying to be included in all ages around her formed a solid building block for wanting all to be loved and helped when needed. With her father being such a dominant leader in her life he was a deciding factor that molded her into the leader of social help.

The mill

The mill stood in a neighborhood next to one of the poorest quarters she had ever seen. At the age of seven this was her first sight of true poverty. Addams explains how she felt their need. She knew they were less fortunate than she. She did not understand why one would live that way. The small houses crammed together concerned her deeply and at this point compassion was being developed. Upon seeing this, she stated she would live in a large house that she would place between the small ones.

Polly

The death of her mother's nurse, a friend and caretaker, Polly, was Jane Addams' first real experience with death. While sitting at Polly's side she referred to Jane as Sarah (her mother that died when Jane was young). In the days leading to Polly's death, Jane experienced not only loss but taking care of the needs of someone else.

Chapter 2 (8 points)

Why was Jane Addams appalled when she was offered a bribe?

What attitudes of Abraham Lincoln did Jane Addams want the children of immigrants to emulate?

Addams was appalled when she was offered a bribe due to a statement that made in reference to her father at his death. She knew he had never conformed or taken a bribe. She could not believe the place or predicament she was in. No bribe was accepted.

Abraham Lincoln's attitude that the common people are the most valuable contribution of our moral lives is what Jane Addams wanted immigrants to emulate.

Chapter 3 (8 points)

Why did Jane Addams resist the pressure to join an organized religion and to become a missionary? How did her passive resistance to this pressure serve her well when she set up Hull House?

None of the ways missionary was presented appealed to her emotionally. Probably because of the fact her father was not the member of a church although he did teach his beliefs. His morals and honor in all matters was instilled in her. Addams needed a more free way of thinking.

It gave Jane Addams the insight to teach women in other fields such as math and help her lead women's progress forward. Her idea gave women power to educate and aid other. She enlightened the teaching methods and used all of these idea to make Hull House a better resource facility.

Chapter 4 (7 points)

What did Jane Addams think was wrong with the higher education which young American women from the upper classes were receiving? What caused Jane Addams to stop "preparing" and to start doing?

Addams believes that living among the poor you better understand them and their ways. If you are just learning in a classroom you are missing out on the experience of knowledge. In a classroom setting you tend to lose the emotional ability to understand what is needed for the under privileged.

Jane Addams, after attending a bull fight in Madrid, that's when she decided to stop preparing and start doing. She felt as if it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever visited to her surprise she watched many horses and bulls be slaughtered with no remorse from spectators. The moral lesson learned was how she no longer would be self seeking. It was at this point that Addams decided her idea would be more useful if her contributions were made at home.

Chapter 5 (20 points)

Summarize the important points of this chapter. (This summary should be at least two pages