Poverty In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

Poverty is the condition in which a person lacks the sufficient income to be able to obtain certain levels of health care, food, housing, and education which are generally recognized as thing to live a standard life. In the year 2006 it was said that about “36.5 million Americans were living in poverty”("Poverty." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2016): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.), which was based on annual income figures. This means that 36.5 million people just in America either were unemployed or lived off food stamps or were unable to get a full time job. It is very difficult to live like this, as the nation saw illustrated in “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. Willy Loman, the protagonist, struggled with finances and couldn't live a standard life. Without money, he couldn't pay his household necessities like the refrigerator and this caused him great stress, which then led to bad decisions. Willy Loman knew, as many Americans do, that Albert Einstein was right when he once said “An empty stomach is not a good political adviser”.
Low income neighborhoods are lacking
access to healthy foods, thanks to the insufficient amount of grocery stores in urban areas. Supermarkets have been abandoning theses areas to build in the suburbs, where land is “both plentiful and less expensive”(Gentile, Annie. "Agencies Move To Close 'Grocery Gaps.'." American City & County 123.3 (2008): 22. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 15 Apr. 2016). This has caused our nation's urban areas to become food deserts. These areas which once had supermarkets are now convenience stores, also commonly known as liquor stores that contain unhealthy foods such as chips, ice cream, and sodas at low prices and fresh produce at high prices, were if you buy a salad at these stores it will cost you about four dollars were making one is about two dollars. This has lead people to rely on cheap low quality foods that are only accessible to them.
Having only convenience stores around these areas has become a serious problem. These people who are living off a minimum wage are going to look for food that is cheap and because they are unable to access a supermarket. They will buy what is cheap which is typically junk food. This will cause them to develop bad eating habits and gain weight then eventually they will become obese. Their new eating habits can also cause them to have high blood pressure which can cause type 2 diabetes,about “24 million”Underwood, Anne. "So Many PEOPLE Need HOPE". (Cover Story)." Prevention 64.5 (2012): 52-62. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.. americans have type two diabetes, and make life more uncomfortable because now they have to worry about their medical bills. The lack of healthy foods will make these poor neighborhoods acquire many health disorders.
We need to stop this this inconveniences now and the one way is by working together with the people around these poor areas that want a change in their communities.
The people can ask the city council for land that is unattended so they make a local farm where they can grow healthy fruits and vegetables. While they have their farm grow they can have volontaires go into the suburbs weekly where the supermarkets have moved to and buy food for those who are unable to get transportation, that way people can save money on gas and can spend more money on fruits and vegetables. People can also volunteer at organizations the Lynchburg grows, which is an organization that produces fresh produce and sells it in food deserts. The problem is not going to magically disappear so people have to work together to bring back equilibrium in poor
neighborhoods. Due to the lack of healthy foods in poor communities many low income residence have had to go through many hardships. However I believe that the people in poor neighborhoods are able to surpass the economic difficulties and health problems they have and once again have access to supermarkets that have healthy foods. Section 1
Supermarkets are starting to leave poor neighborhoods because they fear the people in these areas. In the article “Agencies move” the writer states that supermarkets are leaving due to theft in poor neighborhoods, “In 2007, 7,574 thefts and 1,442 burglaries were reported in the city” (Borjon, Jose. "Thefts, burglaries most linked to low income." Brownsville Herald, The (TX) 18 Apr. 2008: Newspaper Source. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.). However people turn to left due to their low income and lack of opportunities. They are also afraid to make supermarkets in poor neighborhoods because the stereotypes of people because “Nearly half (45 percent) of poor black children live in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty” ("African Americans Are Still Concentrated in Neighborhoods with High Poverty and Still Lack Full Access to Decent Housing." Economic Policy Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.), and people believe that African Americans are degenerate.Furthermore these agencies are not willing to build in poor neighborhoods due to bad stereotypes.
Supermarkets have also been abandoning inner cities “to build in suburbs where land is both more plentiful and less expensive”(Gentile, Annie. "Agencies Move To Close 'Grocery Gaps.'." American City & County 123.3 (2008): 22. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 15 Apr. 2016). By plentiful they mean people have more money there and are able to afford their produce and because they have more money they will spend a little bit more thus increasing the profit of the market, where people in poor neighborhoods can afford much so the markets produce expire and they lose money. Not only do the people in the suburbs have more money but the suburbs is also a cheaper place to build in today it cost “41 percent more per square foot”("As Trends Shift, Urban Home Values Outpace Those in the Suburbs."Zillow. N.p., 29 Jan. 2016. Web.) to live in a urban home than a suburb home,because these companies want to make a profit they move to these neighborhoods.