Poverty Jo Goodwin Parker Analysis

“What is Poverty?” is a selection by Jo Goodwin Parker published in America’s Other Children: Public Schools outside Suburbs by George Henderson in 1971. She wrote about her personal experience and addressed her story so the reader can get an idea of what it is like to live in poverty. She talks about how hard her life has been for her and her kids something I agree with especially with the struggles she had to face. Jo use of ethos is in her supports. This is a self-narrative, the story has a lot of credibility because it is her life. These are all events in her life, she is the only one who knows what happens in her life so there is no reason for her to lie. In the story she says, “I had chronic anemia caused from a poor diet…” this is something personal only her and the doctor who treated her would know. “Poverty is hoping it never
It is logical that a person making $130 a week would be living in poverty not even a single person could live off $6,798 a year never less a single mom with 3 kids. “Once I saved for two months to buy a jar of Vaseline…” a big jar of Vaseline cost around $3.89 in 1971 that is around $0.65, Jo was struggling so bad she could not afford to spare 65 cents. “Poverty is cooking without food and cleaning without soap.” She has stated before she never had enough to buy proper food for her kids or enough to buy soap to keep her and her kids clean. “I came home to find a baby covered with fly specks and a diaper that had not been changed since I left.” A good nursery home cost about $118.85 that is about 90% of her paycheck, that is also about the amount of money she pays for rent. She obviously cannot afford that so she is left with no choice but leave her children with someone who does not seem to care for them. She is very aware of the lifestyle her children could end up having because of the way they