Desperate Despair

Desperate in Despair When reading this realistic article "What Is Poverty?" by Jo Goodwin Parker, who shares her disturbing experiences living in poverty throughout her entire life. This story will open people's eyes to realize to be grateful for the little things we have in life. As the author defines poverty, one can feel her intentions are to put a sense of guilt towards the less fortunate. In the beginning, Goodwin advises the reader to, "Listen without pity" by the end, the persuasive tone alters a greater influential impact (Goodwin 86). It is clear these forces of indifference are powerful emotions that can question one to reconsider what they would do in a case of being a prisoner to poverty. Goodwin's story portrays a whole new meaning to the word "poverty" as she vividly defines the word with repetitional purpose. When Goodwin says, "Poverty is an acid that drips on pride until all pride is worn away. Poverty is a chisel that chips on honor until honor is worn away", this expresses how proverty has weakened her liberty(Goodwin 90). The author states, "Poverty is the living in a smell that never leaves", because she wants to emphasizes that poverty is enescapeable, or something one cannot run away from easily (86). Imagine what it feels like to be trapped in an everlasting nightmare one cannot seem to wake up from. The author explains how poverty has a strong affect on her family's poor health. When she describes, "Poverty means insects in your food, in your nose, in your eyes, and crawling over you when you sleep...gnats and flies devouring her babys tears"(87), the chilling thought sends shivers down one's spine. This knowledge is a greater kind of poverty, because now she knows her children are victims too, but she is helpless. She admits her last child caused her marriage to fall apart, "...after the last baby I destroyed my marriage...I hope he has been albe to climb out of this mess somewhere. He never could hope with us to drag him down"(88,