Effect of the environment in There are no children hereIn There are no children here, by Alex Kotlowitz, the way of life in Chicago's Henry Horner Projects has a profound effect on all the residents who live there. Children become desensitized to the constant violence they witness every day. Children are forced to walk home from school through the urban war zone of these housing projects. It is not uncommon for children to run home from school to avoid becoming victims of the ongoing battle between rival gangs. The violence affected Lafeyette and Pharaon as much as anyone in the projects. Both children are affected by the environment in completely different ways. Pharaoh, the youngest, takes those around him very seriously. Whenever Pharaoh gets the chance, he goes to secret places to be alone with his thoughts. The more Pharaoh is forced to witness violence, death, and hardship, the more deeply he is affected. During the two years Kotlowitz discusses in his book, Pharaoh developed a stutter. This stuttering be...