Evaluation regarding how accurately and thoughtfully the article presents the subject matter

While everyone has choices, of course, some people have far more than others. In this article, Mencimer made the connection between helplessness and domestic violence clear by pointing out the inordinately adverse impact that the economic downturn has had on many young unwed mothers. Moreover, the author takes special pains to graphically illustrate how this connection can become inextricable over time, with the exigencies of day-to-day living with a newborn and perhaps several other children, making escape from this pattern particularly challenging. Rather than being so many "baby machines" churning out one dependent after another to pad the welfare checks, Mencimer emphasizes that Clark's situation is more complicated because of her mental health issues (she suffers from ADHD and bipolar disorder), but it is mirrored time and again across the country, and her baby, "Gabby," differing only in...
[ View Full Essay]