The Grapes Of Wrath Poverty Analysis

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Some people brush off poverty as a problem they do not need to concern themselves with because they are not directly affected. Many of those same people claim that those who live in poverty should simply get a job, or an education. Jo Goodwin parker explains that it is easy for those who are financially secure to dismiss others living in poverty as dirty and lazy because they do not understand the underlying issues. Parker acknowledges that yes, her family is not clean but she counters it by stating, “”Let me explain about housekeeping with no money” (Source A) and that poverty is “cleaning without soap” (Source A). Most people offer these empty solutions because they are easier said than done. They sound easy to accomplish, but poverty is more than just getting a job or moving out of a bad area. …show more content…

This idea is similar again to that of the salesmen who take advantage of people who are so desperate for a car, they will overpay for this. In Chapter 3 of The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck tells the story of how on the side of a road, a driver, “saw the turtle and swerved to hit it” (Source G, 15). The story of the turtle parallels real life and how some people will go out of their way to make life harder for others instead of easier. On the other hand, Steinbeck also exemplifies how compassionate some people can