Question: Class readings 5 & 6 introduces Lee taking on both the EPA and City Hall.  In class we have learned about these institutions. Discuss the perception of City Hall officials to Lee.  How do they treat her?  What quotes support this?  Are they fulfilling their responsibility to protect?  

     This section of the novel hasn't been Lee's first time at City Hall. She has been there plenty of times to report her findings, yet they never seem to give her the time of day to actually take her information into consideration. During her argument with the city counsel and the EPA representative, Lee states "how many times have I been here saying the same thing?  Twenty times? Thirty times? A hundred times? ...and I'll say it again...because nobody goddamn listens" (Steinke 90). City Hall ignores Lee, treats her as gnat, and disregards all the evidence she brings forth. Councilman Burns expressed his annoyance with Lee when he said "Alright, there.... we're very familiar with your work, Ms. Knowles" (Steinke 90). This shows that Lee has presented her findings many times to the council, yet they have not taken anything into consideration. Also, when they went out to look at the site, they did not see anything Lee saw when she went out earlier in the novel. The city does not seem to be holding up their duty to protect the people and seem too preoccupied with helping Avery Taft gain the ability to turn Rosemont into real-estate opportunities.

Question: Discuss the response of the EPA to Lee.  What is their response to her?  What quotes support this?  Are they fulfilling their responsibility to protect?

     The EPA representative had a similar response as the city council towards Lee. Ms. Dawson was very negative to Lee and didn't take Lee's findings into consideration. When Lee was discussing her findings with Ms. Dawson, Lee was told to send her research to the EPA; however, Lee demanded her findings be sent directly to Ms. Dawson, not the general EPA address. When Lee said this, Ms. Dawson "held her face very still, then calmly blinked her eyes" (Steinke 91). Ms. Dawson's response showed
she wasn't fazed by Lee's remarks and that she probably won't take Lee's findings into consideration. The EPA is fulfilling their responsibility to protect by conducting research in the Rosemont area; however, they are not doing this to their full potential in the fact that are ignoring the blatantly obvious evidence of human harm. Ms. Dawson tossed Lee's statistics of cancer rates and other figures due to the pollution in and around the Rosemont area.

Work Cited
Steinke, Rene. Friendswood. New York: Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA, 2014. Print.