Summarizer for the Novel as a Whole

The novel, The Shame of the Nation, by Jonathan Kozol talks about the struggles that are present in inner-city schools. Kozol first starts the novel off pretty specific by talking about how schools are still segregated today; he also mentions the conditions of the schools, standardized testing, and the government’s involvement. Then throughout each chapter Kozol goes into much more detail about each top. He points out the flaws in these areas and why they do not work. If there is something that works he will talk about it. Kozol also talks about ways that we might be able to improve the inner-city schools.

Since much of this novel is about facts, Kozol makes sure that he has statistics to back up his reasoning or hard evidence like government documents to prove what he is saying. Even before you start reading the novel, there is a short introductory about Kozol and how he became so passionate about trying to help improve inner-city schools. Kozol does not just use facts to support what he is saying; he reaches the reader on an emotional level by talking about first-hand experiences he saw when visiting many schools. He uses interviews from children who are enrolled at these schools and teachers who work at these schools so the reader is able to connect to the children and teachers.