# Exploitation and Greed in How the Other Half Lives

> Theme guide for How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis.

The book condemns the greed of landlords, sweatshop owners, and corrupt politicians who profit from the suffering of the poor, calling it a 'Christian civilization' gone astray.

## Where it surfaces

- [Epigraph](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/epigraph): Criticizes the wealthy for building their fortunes on the backs of the poor, using religious imagery to underscore moral failure.
- [I: Genesis of the Tenement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/i-genesis-of-the-tenement): Landlords and middlemen prioritized profit over safety, charging high rents for dilapidated, unsafe spaces and ignoring tenant welfare.
- [The Mixed Crowd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/iii-the-mixed-crowd): Irish landlords exploit Italian tenants by charging exorbitant rents, reflecting the broader exploitation within the tenement system.
- [The Italian in New York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/v-the-italian-in-new-york): Highlights the padrone system and the greed of steamship agents and contractors who profit from Italian immigrants.
- [VIII: The Cheap Lodging-Houses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/viii-the-cheap-lodging-houses): Political bosses and lodging-house owners exploit the poor for votes and profit, while figures like David Smith exploit children for personal gain.
- [IX: Chinatown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/ix-chinatown): The Chinese are shown exploiting women through opium and prostitution, with the Joss House combining worship and business in a practical manner.
- [XI: The Sweaters of Jewtown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/xi-the-sweaters-of-jewtown): The sweater system is depicted as a chain of exploitation, from manufacturers to subcontractors, all driving workers to starvation wages.
- [XII: The Bohemians—Tenement-House Cigarmaking](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/xii-the-bohemians-tenement-house-cigarmaking): Landlord-employers exploit Bohemian tenants by charging exorbitant rents and paying starvation wages, creating a system of virtual serfdom.
- [XIII: The Color Line in New York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/xiii-the-color-line-in-new-york): Landlords exploit racial prejudice to charge Black tenants higher rents for inferior housing, treating discrimination as a profitable business strategy.
- [XX: The Working Girls of New York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/xx-the-working-girls-of-new-york): Employers impose fines for sitting, charge for aprons, and discharge workers to avoid raises; wages are driven down by rural 'pin-money' competitors.
- [The Man with the Knife](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/xxiii-the-man-with-the-knife): The chapter criticizes ill-spent wealth that built tenements for usurious profit, laying the foundation for social danger.
- [XXV: How the Case Stands](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/xxv-how-the-case-stands): Landlords who profit from slum conditions are condemned, and the chapter argues that ethical investment can be profitable.
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/chapters/endnotes): The endnotes detail the high profits from tenement housing and the sweating system, reflecting greed at the expense of tenants.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/themes/exploitation_and_greed
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/how_the_other_half_lives_se/themes