Marlin believes that the homeless are seen as "the other" because most people don't really know what homelessness means. He also shared that he thinks that we forget that most homeless people's lives began as ordinary, and then they were either forced into homelessness, or they have had situations that have caused them to embrace it. Marlin provides a list to teach us about who and why people are homeless. The lists gives the readers insight on who to expect to see in this condition, and it also helps us to see that homelessness cannot always be unpreventable for anyone, especially since it lists that the homeless include families who have lost their jobs.