Upward Mobility

This novel offers a very different perspective of poverty from the ones we have previously seen. Not only is it set in a different time period, but it provides many different illustrations of poverty and class. We are not limited to one type of lower class but see a multitude of people struggling to survive. The realism of this novel also differs from our previous works. Instead of seeing people climb to the top as in Q & A or White Tiger, we see people stuck because of the class they were born into. There is no upward mobility. This type of fantasy only happens in fiction according to this novel. This is an interesting contrast to the previous novels because to me it romanticizes poverty less. To see nothing but corruption and horror continually bringing these characters down is frustrating. Although we get moments of fresh air through family and laughter, the fact that upward mobility is impossible and everyone is stuck is constantly eminent.