The Poor in America

The book’s core thematic consideration relates to the experience of being poor in America. Even though the author’s primary focus is on the experience of being poor within the context of living a rural, agriculture-based lifestyle, many aspects of that specific situation can be seen as applying to a broader set of circumstances. There are several places in which the author identifies them as such, using a variety of both personal and research-based approaches to argue this particular point and reinforce this particular claim.

For example, the author’s comments about the various prejudices and preconceptions she encountered because she came from a poor family offer clear indications that they could apply to other poor people in other circumstances. Her comments about poverty making it both easy and necessary, at times, to move from place to place also function in this way. Sometimes...