AMST 371.01 
Class and Culture
Roger Williams University
M-TH 3:30 - 4:50
GHH 108
Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D. 
Office GHH 215
Hours:  M: 9:30 11:00 T-Th 11:00-12:00
Phone:  (254) 3230
E-MAIL  MSWANSON@RWU.EDU
Length: 5 pp. Typed, double spaced, (more or less)

Due: Monday, February 23 Submitted by Bridges   


Preview Period:Through Monday February 16: Also submitted through Bridges .

I want you to do two things.  You may either do them separately, or you may weave them into a single narrative, depending on what is most comfortable for you
1.The central character of Samaritan is the television writer, Ray Mitchell.  He makes a wonderful protagonist for our purposes because he has experienced so many different social levels in his life.  Throughout the novel, he interacts with a wide variety of people, many of whom could easily be the central character in a story of their own.  So what I’d like to have you do is choose any one (in one case, a group), of the characters (I’ve prepared a list below), and imagine the story from that character’s point of view.  What is that person’s relationship with Ray?  How would he/she interpret Ray, his actions, and motives?  What does he/she want from him, or from life in general? What are his/her dreams?  What are his/her challenges?  (Be aware that what the character says and what the character really believes may not always be the same. If you wish, and are feeling especially creative, you can try writing this in the first person.

2.Was reading this book valuable to you in any way?  If so, how?  If not, what about it made reading it a less than good use of your time?  Would you recommend this book be used again?  Why or why not?
The Eligible Characters:

Dempsy, New Jersey, is fictional.  It is modeled, however, upon Jersey City, a very real place.  In order to give you some idea of what Dempsy might be like, I'm providing illustrations of one of the zip codes in Jersey City.  I chose it because it includes a waterfront development similar to the one in which Ray Mitchell lives as well as areas similar to those where the other characters reside.
Percentages of Families Living in Poverty. The National Average is 9.8%
Percentages of Individuals Living in Poverty. The National Average is 2 9.8%
Percentage of population identifying itself  White.   The National Average is 75.1%
Percentage of population identifying itself  Hispanic.   The National Average is 12.5%
Percentage of population identifying itself  Black or African-American.   The National Average is 12.3%
Zip Code 07302, courtesy of Google Earth.  The tower to the bottom right would be similar to that described in Samaritan.  A view to the southeast would include the Statue of Liberty.

Note the street pattern here.  You'll see that some of the areas described in economic or social terms are outlined by the changes in street orientation.

Click on the Picture to open a view from Live Search offers a chance to see the part of Jersey City similar to where Ray Mitchell used to live and where he lives when the story occurs.
Use Google Earth or Google Maps to explore the city further. Use some of the layers to see what amenities are available, and if there happen to be pictures of the area included..  You should be able to locate at least one public housing project, and place it in the context of the demographic data below..

View Larger Map
Ray Mitchell might have lived in one of the hi rise buildings on the horizon.  Stroll around Jersey city to see what other kinds of neighborhoods you can find.
Well, January roared out like a lion, and February is supposed to do some roaring of its own next weekend.  In the meantime, school was closed Monday and I have made alterations to the schedule accordingly.   Finally, I've updated this  page to include some information about  public housing (a.k.a. "the projects" in Jersey City the town fictionalized into Dempsey in Samaritan.  Scroll way down to the  bottom of the page, or click here.

View Larger Map
Above is a map of Jersey city, showing the location of public housing units.  Clicking your cursor on the blue markers will retrieve the names of them.  Since the map was created, more pubic housing has been added, you can find that information here click on the public housing link) and maps and floor plans here.     There is also a Facebook Page.  Doesn't everyone have one of those?