Who Has it Worse? Blog #3

I've noticed while reading the text my feelings towards characters tend to flip... a lot. Because Matt Desmond focuses on both the landlord and tenant perspectives I can see the pros and cons of each side. To set some perspective, you must know that Sherrena Tarver is a landlord in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Arleen is one of her many tenants. Arleen rents in one of Sherrena’s building until the amount of money she owes (over $11,000) leads her to an eviction notice from Sherrena. Each eviction is taken to court. Some tenants show up and fight, some show up and accept their fate, and some do not even bother to come. Arleen showed up at the courthouse ready to accept the sentence that would shove her and her children, Jori and Jafaris, back onto the streets.

My favorite passage that I have read so far is “When Sherrena and Arleen walked out of the courthouse, a gentle snow was falling. Sherrena had agreed to give Arleen a ride home. In the car, Sherrena paused to rub her neck, and Arleen lowered her forehead into the palm of her hand. Both women had splitting headaches” (106). The theme of struggle is very clear in Evicted, but one question that has plagued me since the beginning of my reading is; who has it worse? Obviously you’re probably thinking “Duh, the tenants have it worse!”

 

However, I cannot help but think about the struggles that landlords like Sherrena must face in the difficult process of eviction. Sherrena is no stranger to evicting people. The sad reality of a high-poverty area like Milwaukee is many people cannot afford to pay their bills. Sherrena and her husband Quentin run their business together; he “…dealt with messes; Sherrena dealt with people” (15). A scene that stuck out to me in the book was a landlord meeting that Sherrena attended. A landlord asked if there was a maximum charge for a late fee, and the others looked at her like she was an alien. The woman running the discussion, Karen, responded in a way that I found to be… unnerving. Her response is to have the curious landlord say over and over again; “This is myyy property!” Karen boomed, her finger pointing to the land below” (91).

Such a good movie, BTW. This an iconic scene, as well as a quite the mood.

Both women has their headaches for different reasons. Sherrena struggles between her head and her heart; not wanting to evict her struggling tenants but also needing rent money to thrive on her own. Arleen’s headache is both from the overwhelming realization that she is once again helpless, and from that fact that she “hadn’t eaten all day” (106). I think the most important takeaway from this passage is a thought that often crosses my mind; everybody struggles in their own special way.

The end judgement call was that Arleen would be evicted within 10 days, on the terms that Sherrena withdraw all loans that Arleen owed her. After hearing this Sherrena’s response was “I don’t want to dismiss anything. I really don’t… I mean, I’m tired of losing out on every single–” (106). With two struggles so interwoven, one side is expected to lose more than the other. The question I have posed has an answer, but it depends on the situation. Sherrena lost $11,000 and Arleen lost a home. I believe that Arleen has it worse as Sherrena is already well off herself.  But really, who do you think has it better… if at all?