Poverty is an epidemic that has swept the American nation many times over.
Whether it be quietly lingering under the surface, or blatantly staring us in the face as it is in this current recession, it affects people across America on individual, community and national levels alike. While there are many causes and effects of poverty, it is important to view the issue of poverty and its causes from all angles when one seeks to tackle the problem. These factors include socio-economic status, mental illness, family values and work ethics, to name a few. In this essay, I will be examining these factors as they are discussed in the book, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (referred to as Glass Castle throughout essay), as well as in the article Poverty in America from the Congressional Digest, December 2010 (referred to as Census throughout the essay).
When children are born into poverty, it is the only life they know. They often grow up to either see life from the viewpoint of, “that’s just the way it is,” or become determined to better their status when they are old enough to do so. Children don’t often realize they live in poverty until they are told by their peers, such as when they are called poor and see people taking pity on them or make fun of them. They may also realize they are different when they are exposed to what other people have and realize that they have much less. As noted in Poverty in America, poverty level, in itself, is merely based on an income deficit, whereas one’s household receives less money than another; it also relates to the standard of living (Census, pg. 300). When one has less income, less things are afforded, however living within those means will often create or hide the barrier that is poverty. ...
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While poverty has been an ongoing issue, there are many causes and facto s associated with this social construct, and many ways to overcome it. In this essay, which combined poverty information from the 2010 Census and the book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the effects of mental illness, addiction, family values and work ethics on poverty were discussed and examined. The overall conclusion of this writer would be that poverty can be overcome as long as individuals are willing to help themselves and their dependents and overcome the obstacles that they face in order to create a better outcome.
Works Cited
Walls, Jeanette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir.
3rd ed. 5. New York: Simmon& Schuster, 2005. Print.
"Poverty in the United States." Congressional Digest 89.10 (2010): 298-300.
Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
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Psychology of Poverty And Its Impact On Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved May 05, 2014, from Best MSW Program: http://www.bestmswprograms.com
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