Heartland by Sarah Smarsh Essay Example

The poor people have not brought misery upon themselves, but factors in the social environment have made it poor for them to realize their full potentials. Hard work pays as demonstrated by Sarah Smarsh who is a successful journalist and a daughter of the working class; hence you have to work hard to become productive and successful. Smarsh defied the odds of growing up in a low-income family who faced various challenges facilitated by President Reagan administration which saw the end of his father's business of construction. The environment upon which Smarsh grew in was characterized by welfare cut of the working-class individuals and the discrimination faced by the civic life individuals by the rest of affluent part of the country. However, Sarah Smarsh worked hard to liberate herself from the face of poverty associated with individuals from the working-class environment. Moreover, other sentimental women are shown to defy the challenges present in society and becoming successful. For instance, the unsentimental power displayed by the line of nomadic women who survived the hard episodes of finding a job.

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The poor individuals in society can be attributed to bringing misery upon themselves; hence they will continue becoming poor. The poor often are as a result of refusing to work hard and earn their living; moreover, they do not have a way of life which can be deemed clean for their prosperity. For instance, poor society is characterized by families whereby the husband is abusive to their women, and society is set to diminish developments made by women. A society which is not gendered inclusive, whereby, both men and women are equally valued and work in cohesion cannot achieve its developmental objectives. Moreover, the way of living in the poor society works to bring down their own, as people are regarded or disregarded by their social class. Hence, people are justified only by their ability to work hard with the other factors notwithstanding, Sarah says, "Society's disrespect towards the poor individuals makes the poor person disrespect herself" (Smash pp.95).

The state of being poor in a rich country can be attributed to both the sick person's way of living and the factors existing in the society, both cultural and political hardships. These factors work in synergism and make it hard for a needy individual to break out of the poverty lines. The societal factors work to shame the needy individuals in their predicaments, whereas, the political factors work to bring additional hardship by monetizing them. For instance, policies are developed to increase interest fees, court fines, and among others. The result is the poor will continued to languish in poverty, but the affluent continue to enjoy their wealth. The voice in the literature by Sarah Smarsh is seen to be both politically and socially inclined, explaining the state of poverty in America.

Conclusion

The opposing concern is poverty is self-induced by the sick individuals, whereas the argument based on the societal factors leading to poverty. Both cases integrated into the fact that needy individuals break down concerning hardships, hence fail in their responsibilities of working hard to escape from poverty. Yes, societal factors, for instance, the government policies may facilitate hardships, but individuals who view these factors as significant hindrance often find it difficult to become successful.

Work cited

Smarsh, Sarah. Heartland: A Memoir of working hard and being broke in the wealthiest Country on Earth. Scribe Publications, 2018.