Psychological Poverty Bobbie Ann Mason Summary

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. Living in a state of psychological poverty occurs when a person or group of people compare themselves to other individuals or societies, and coveting what they have. It is a metaphor describing the feeling of having everything you need—and having nothing at the same time. It could be the lack of stimulus an individual wants, possessions, or envious relationships, and is most commonly associated with financial poverty as a result of happenstance or tragedy. In relation to Bobbie Ann Mason’s story, psychological poverty represents her feelings of inferiority towards people living in larger towns. She believed they had far more leisure time, largely because they had no need to make their own food or clothing. This was the life she wished to lead, but was held back due to her circumstances. Mason’s feelings were perpetuated even further when she was given a chance to work in town at a diner with her mother. She savored every fizzy sip of cola, every bite of a juicy hamburger, and every new song that played on the jukebox; these were things she felt were a wealth to behold. …show more content…

When Mason described the three different types of clothing she had growing up, it brought to mind a respect for tradition among country dwellers. Country folk may not possess a great deal of money or materialistic wealth, but what they lack in “things” they make up for in a wealth of respect and love for what they do have. Being country is a humble way of life, and the clothes they wore and took great care of were no exception to this rule. They valued every thread and made great use of materials, and were careful not to disrespect the hands that made them. Others may have tossed these garments aside as rags because they were not purchased from a store or catalog. The imagery of what these sets of clothing must have looked like—utilitarian, dressy, and school uniform—conveys the intricate work that went into every stitch of fabric. Consistency, it seems, is the key to their style of

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