WHAT IS POVERTY ESSAY QUESTIONS 1. What do you think is the main idea of Parker’s essay?2. Is the main idea of Parker’s essay Explicit or Implicit?3. Write one open-ended question, one divergent question, and one My Life question about Parker’s essay for your classmates to answer.4. Read the information below about Paraphrasing.5. For each paragraph of Parker’s essay that begins with “Poverty is. . . ,†write a paraphrase of Jo Goodwin Parker’s definition of poverty.Paraphrasing DefinedWe’ve all watched television shows or heard news stories we wanted to tell others about. We may have told our friends, our family, or our coworkers about what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. We recounted the storyline, the main characters, the events, and important points using our own words. This is paraphrasing – using your own words to express someone else’s message or ideas. In a paraphrase, the ideas and meaning of the original source must be maintained; the main ideas need to come through, but the wording has to be your own.Guidelines for ParaphrasingHow do you paraphrase a source?Read the original two or three times or until you are sure you understand it.Put the original aside and try to write the main ideas in your own words. Say what the source says, but no more, and try to reproduce the source’s order of ideas and emphasis.Look closely at unfamiliar words, observing carefully the exact sense in which the writer uses the words.Check your paraphrase, as often as needed, against the original for accurate tone and meaning, changing any words or phrases that match the original too closely. If the wording of the paraphrase is too close to the wording of the original, then it is plagiarism.Include a citation for the source of the information (including the page numbers) so that you can cite the source accurately. Even when you paraphrase, you must still give credit to the original author.ExamplesParaphrasing can be done with individual sentences or entire paragraphs. Here are some examples.Original sentence:Her life spanned years of incredible change for women.Paraphrased sentence:Mary lived through an era of liberating reform for women.Original sentence:Giraffes like Acacia leaves and hay, and they can consume 75 pounds of food a day.Paraphrased sentence:A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of Acacia leaves and hay every day.
The correct answer and explanation is:
Answers and Explanations
- What do you think is the main idea of Parker’s essay?
The main idea of Jo Goodwin Parker’s essay “What is Poverty?” is to provide a raw and personal account of what it truly means to live in poverty. Parker vividly describes the struggles of daily life, including hunger, lack of hygiene, and the absence of hope, to show readers that poverty is not just a statistic but a harsh, lived reality. - Is the main idea of Parker’s essay Explicit or Implicit?
The main idea of Parker’s essay is implicit. While she does not directly state a thesis, her descriptions, personal anecdotes, and emotional appeals make it clear that poverty is dehumanizing, exhausting, and nearly impossible to escape. - Write one open-ended question, one divergent question, and one My Life question about Parker’s essay for your classmates to answer.
- Open-ended Question: How does Parker use sensory details to make her experiences with poverty feel real to the reader?
- Divergent Question: If you were in Parker’s situation, what strategies would you try to escape poverty, given the limited resources she describes?
- My Life Question: Have you ever experienced or witnessed poverty firsthand? How did it affect your perception of the issue?
- Paraphrases of Parker’s “Poverty is…” paragraphs:
- Original: “Poverty is being tired.”
Paraphrased: Living in poverty means constantly feeling exhausted from overwork, stress, and lack of proper nutrition. - Original: “Poverty is dirt.”
Paraphrased: Being poor means struggling to stay clean because there is no money for soap, hot water, or proper hygiene products. - Original: “Poverty is staying up all night with a sick child when a doctor is not available.”
Paraphrased: When you are poor, you must endure sleepless nights worrying about your child’s health because you cannot afford medical care. - Original: “Poverty is looking into a black future.”
Paraphrased: Poverty feels like being trapped in a hopeless situation where there is no way to improve your life or your children’s future. - Original: “Poverty is an acid that drips on pride until pride is worn away.”
Paraphrased: The experience of poverty slowly destroys a person’s sense of dignity and self-respect.
- Original: “Poverty is being tired.”
Explanation
Jo Goodwin Parker’s essay “What is Poverty?” is a deeply personal and emotional account that seeks to define poverty through firsthand experience. Rather than relying on statistics or theoretical discussions, Parker uses vivid imagery, sensory details, and real-life examples to immerse the reader in the daily struggles of the poor. Her essay’s main idea is that poverty is more than just a lack of money—it is an exhausting, degrading, and nearly inescapable way of life.
The main idea is implicit because Parker does not present a straightforward thesis statement. Instead, she reveals the meaning of poverty through storytelling, describing the physical and emotional toll it takes on individuals. Her descriptions of hunger, sickness, and hopelessness force the reader to understand the depth of poverty beyond its economic definition.
The questions provided help encourage deeper thinking about the essay. The open-ended question about sensory details pushes students to analyze Parker’s writing style. The divergent question challenges students to think creatively about solutions to poverty. The My Life question encourages personal reflection, making the topic more relevant.
The paraphrased sections maintain the meaning of Parker’s original descriptions but use different wording to avoid plagiarism. By rewording each paragraph while keeping the original intent, the paraphrases stay true to Parker’s message while demonstrating understanding.
Parker’s essay remains a powerful and relevant piece, urging readers to move beyond statistics and consider the real, human experience of poverty.