What is Poverty?
-Jo Goodin Parker
Summary and Question Answers:
Summary:
The essay ‘What is Poverty?’ written by Jo Goodwin
Parker. It is a realistic essay in which she gives a real account of what
poverty actually means. She describes how painful it is to live amidst in
poverty and her daily struggles to raise a family.
Parker stresses that poverty is uglier, crueler and
more devastating than it is shown in newspapers. She defines poverty as a lack.
It is living without hope, better foods, health
care, proper sanitation and proper education. It is compared to an acid
that destroys pride, honor, health and future. Her main idea is to show how humiliating
and disgusting it is being poor. In the essay the evidence of her daily
struggle is mentioned very clearly. She wants to draw the readers' attention to
the pathetic condition of poor people. The
poor are forced to live a restless life looking at the dark future of their
children. Poverty ruins the family relationship.
After giving birth to the last baby the essayist
divorced with her husband because he was jobless. Once the children were
left under the care of their grandmother. She found her children in a miserable
condition when she got back home. She was unable to admit her children at a
nursery school because of her insufficient income. She made 20 dollars a week
and a nursery school cost 20 dollars a week for three children. Therefore, she
left her job.
Parker is successful in evoking sympathy from the
readers. She makes the readers realize how depressing poverty is. She shows us
that there is no hope for the poor without understanding them.
Understanding the text
Answer
the following questions.
a. What is poverty according to
Parker?
According to Parker, poverty is being dirty, smelly,
and with no proper underwear on and with the stench of the rotting teeth.
b. How is poverty difficult for
Parker’s children? List some specific examples.
- Once she left her children with their grandmother.
She found her children in a miserable condition.
- For breakfast her children are fed grits with no
oleo or cornbread without eggs and oleo.
- To buy a jar of Vaseline for the baby’s diaper rash
the essayist had to save money for 2 months.
- In winter, children are in danger of being burnt as
newspapers on the wall are likely to get caught by a spark, and in summer they
are covered with when they cry.
- Children are always with runny noses.
- They have no extra books, no magazines, no extra
pencils, or crayons, or paper and most important of all, they are not healthy.
c. How does Parker try to obtain
help, and what problems does she encounter?
She asks her relative for a loan. She is supposed to
visit the office. She circles the building four or five times. She goes in.
Everyone is very busy. Finally, someone comes out and asks her if she needs
help. That isn’t the person she needs to see. She goes to see another person.
After telling him the whole story about her poverty she finds that this is the
wrong office. Then, she must repeat the whole process.
d. Why are people’s opinions and
prejudices her greatest obstacles?
She is stricken hard by poverty. She is unable to
raise her family well. She divorced with her husband. She is ill- treated while
asking for help. This makes her lose her pride and honor and ultimately
shatters her dream.
e. How does Parker defend her
inability to get help? How does she discount the usual solutions society has
for poverty (e.g., welfare, education, and health clinics)?
According to Parker the usual solutions society has
for poverty are far from her access. There is a surplus commodities program
which cost too much. A school lunch program can’t benefit her children as her
children whose health will be worsened by the time they go to school. Health
clinics are in the towns. She lives out here eight miles from town. Everything
has a cost.
REFERENCE
TO THE CONTEXT
a. Explain the following:
Poverty is looking into a
black future.
Answer:
This line " Poverty is looking into a black future" has been stated by the writer Jo Goodwin Parker in her essay. She has put forward this line for her readers to present her experience related to poverty. Here in this line, the writer is advising all the readers about an ugly and cruel aspect of poverty. According to her, poverty leads people towards the black future. Poor people have to live miserable life daily. It is quite difficult to manage proper daily foodstuffs for them. For them, there is no hope for the upcoming future. They keep on spending their lives in disparity looking into a black future. Poverty breaks expectations and dreams of future days.
b. What does Parker mean by “The
poor are always silent”?
Answer:
By "The poor are always silent", Parker
means the helpless state of poor people. In poverty, money plays a very vital
role. Money itself is the right solution for all the problems. But, due to lack
of money, poor people feel weaker. They always remain silent in front of
others. They have to listen to others words being silent due to their pathetic
state.
c. What writing strategy does
the author use at the beginning of most of the paragraphs? Do you notice a
recurring pattern? What is it?
Answer:
Here in this essay, the author uses her repetition
strategy at the beginning of most of the paragraphs. Yes, I notice a recurring
pattern. It is the structure " Poverty is". The essay is well
organized, and the structure “Poverty is” is repeated at the beginning of each
paragraph.
Here, with the help of her repetition strategy, she
tries to establish a relationship between the woman and the readers. The
author's informal style makes the writing appear as part of a casual
conversation between the narrator and the readers. Goodwin Parker’s writing is
extremely effective and reaches its purpose.
d. How does Parker develop each
paragraph? What details make each paragraph memorable?
Answer:
Parker develops each paragraph starting with her repetition strategy. She starts most of her paragraphs with a repetition statement as "Poverty is". Later, she provides her personal experiences about her topic sentences.
The author first clearly explains to her readers that
her purpose is to help people understand what poverty is. Her second purpose is
to convince all her readers to help people in need. The details related to her
personal painful experiences and the bitter reality of poverty make each
paragraph memorable.
e. In the final paragraph, how
does the author use questions to involve the readers in the issue of poverty?
Answer:
In the final paragraph, the author uses questions in
her informal style of direct conversation to involve the readers in the issue
of poverty.
Parker has done a successful job at involving her
readers through her persuasive manner. She asks them to look at the poor with
an angry heart but not with a pitiable heart. This manner of question has
attracted readers' emotions as well as attention. Here, in the final paragraph,
she has become successful to attract her readers' attention toward her plight
and the struggles of other's in her situation.
REFERENCE
BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Define a social problem
(homelessness, unemployment, racism) imitating Parker’s style.
Answer:
Homelessness is sleeping in footpaths. Homelessness
compels you to sleep in footpaths. Living life on footpaths makes you weaker in
various aspects. It ends up your pride and prestige.
Unemployment is living a life with shame. Unemployment
degrades your value in society. Due to the lack of a job, you feel shame and
humiliation all the time. People ridicule you in the name of unemployment.
Racism is living a life with humiliation. The racists
make you feel weaker in society. They keep on humiliating you in the matter of
skin colour. Due to your skin colour, you will have to face humiliation in your
society. Living life under the concept of racism is a curse.
b. Using adjectives to highlight
the futility of the situation, write a short definition essay on Growing up in
Poverty.
Answers:
Poverty is defined as a pitiable situation where
people feel a lack of various essential things in their life. Apart from
others' opinions, I think growing up in poverty is annoying. Poverty never
allows you to be happy. Living life in poverty annoys you most of the time.
Growing up in poverty makes your life boring. You never try to do anything
interesting living within the criteria of poverty. You feel both confusing and
disappointing to grow up in poverty. You feel confused about your life all the
time. Disparity and inequality never let you be free and do something good in
your lives. Growing up in poverty is a frightening experience where you have to
face various hardships and struggles. It provides you with a tiring and
worrying experience where pains are always ready to welcome you.
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