Unknown

How the Other Half Lives

The narrator guides the reader through the tenements, observing and reporting on the conditions.

I: Genesis of the Tenement

The narrator describes the history and conditions of tenements, citing official reports and personal observations.

II: The Awakening

The narrator provides a detailed account of the reform movement and the state of tenements.

The Mixed Crowd

The narrator interviews a Fourth Ward alley agent and reflects on the cosmopolitan character of lower New York.

IV: The Downtown Back-Alleys

The narrator guides the reader through the back-alleys, observing and reporting on the conditions and stories of the tenement dwellers.

VI: The Bend

The narrator guides the reader through 'the Bend,' describing its sights, smells, and inhabitants, and recounting visits to tenements and interactions with residents.

VII: A Raid on the Stale-Beer Dives

The narrator accompanies the police as a 'war correspondent' during the raid on the stale-beer dives.

IX: Chinatown

The narrator undertakes an expedition to photograph Joss and tours the opium dens with the police captain.

X: Jewtown

The narrator guides the reader through Jewtown, observing and reporting on the conditions and conversations with residents.

XI: The Sweaters of Jewtown

The narrator describes his own investigative efforts and conversations with workers, including a man who asked when they would find time to learn English.

XIII: The Color Line in New York

The narrator investigates and reports on the housing discrimination against Black tenants, providing detailed rent comparisons and landlord testimonies.

XIV: The Common Herd

The narrator guides the reader through the tenement blocks, sharing observations and personal anecdotes.

XV: The Problem of the Children

The narrator observes and counts children in tenements, describes encounters with ragamuffins seeking flowers, and reflects on the broader social problem.

Waifs of the City’s Slums

The narrator observes and reports on the conditions of foundlings and the operations of asylums and charities.

The Street Arab

The narrator observes the Street Arabs and describes the work of the Children's Aid Society, including helping to see off a party of boys to Michigan.

XVIII: The Reign of Rum

The narrator observes and counts saloons versus churches, follows a boy into a saloon, and recounts the story of a boy killed by rats.

XIX: The Harvest of Tares

The narrator observes and documents gang activities, interacts with young toughs, and visits police stations and tenements.

XX: The Working Girls of New York

The narrator who investigates and reports on the conditions of working women, visiting tenements and gathering testimony.

XXI: Pauperism in the Tenements

The narrator recounts personal experiences with street beggars and reflects on the moral and social implications of pauperism.

XXII: The Wrecks and the Waste

The narrator visits the almshouse, workhouse, penitentiary, and insane asylum on the islands, observing and describing the conditions and inhabitants.

The Man with the Knife

The narrator reflects on the man with the knife and the broader social crisis, speaking from personal observation and experience.

XXIV: What Has Been Done

The narrator reflects on two decades of tenement reform and shares observations from personal experience.

XXV: How the Case Stands

The narrator observes a landlord's superficial renovation and reflects on the broader tenement problem.