How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Once, when Luke was younger, a tramp had walked up to the house and Luke had only had time to hide under the sink in the mudroom before the man was in the house, begging for food. The door of the cabinet was cracked, so Luke had been able to peek out and see the man's patched trousers and holey shoes. He'd heard his whiny voice: "I ain't got no job, and I ain't et in three days.... No, no, I can't do no farmwork for my food. What do you think I am? I'm sick. I'm starving...." (3.41)
Until Jen, the only person Luke met outside his family was someone poorer than them. Doesn't exactly set the bar high, but it also gave Luke a first-hand glance at real poverty—and suggests that poverty doesn't actually do much to motivate people to work.
Quote #2
"Those hogs are our bread and butter," she said. "With grain prices the way they are...what are we going to live on?" (5.15)
The Garners rely on the pigs they raise, so when the Government takes them away (just like everything else), Luke's family is even more desperate than they were before. Real nice, Government. You sure do inspire a lot of loyalty.
Quote #3
Dad went on. "Williker says they raised everyone's taxes because of them fancy houses. Makes our land worth more."
"Isn't that good?" Luke asked eagerly.
[...]
Dad was shaking his head in disgust over Luke's question.
"No. It's only good if we're selling. And we ain't. All it means for us is that the Government thinks they can get more money out of us." (6.6-9)
That's property value for you: now the Garners have to pay more for the "privilege" of living next to a bunch of snotty Barons. Great. Wow, it almost seems like the Government is trying to suppress Luke's family and other families like his.
Quote #4
Mother had turned back to her stew.
"I got my work permit today," she said softly. "The factory's hiring. If I get on there, I can maybe get an advance on my paycheck." (6.12-13)
There's a few too many conditions in that statement. If she gets a job, she might get an advance? Unfortunately, it's the best option they have right now.
Quote #5
"Do you go hungry sometimes?" she asked in a low voice.
"No," Luke said in surprise.
"Some shadow children do because they don't have food ration cards, and the rest of their family doesn't share," she said (17.38-40)
First, sharing is caring so that's pretty messed up of the families who hoard all the food. And second, it's apparently common enough for Jen to ask Luke if it has ever happened to him. At least there are other families worse off? Not very comforting.
Quote #6
"So if I didn't eat, my food would go to someone who was legal," Luke said. But in his family, that would just be Matthew or Mark, and they were hardly starving [...] Then Luke remembered the tramp from long ago, saying, "I ain't et in three days..." Was that Luke's fault? (17.68)
Ugh the Government is getting inside Luke's head again. And who's to say that the tramp was legal to begin with? Bet Luke never thought of that.
Quote #7
"Again?" Dad asked, shuffling the cards.
"If you don't have any work you've got to do."
"In November? With no livestock? Only work I've got now is figuring out how we're going to pay our bills once the hog money runs out." (19.15-17)
Well on one hand, yay for no livestock, because Luke's dad has more free time to spend chillin' with his son. But on the other hand, he also has the burden of worrying about how to support the entire family with fleeting funds. On the whole, we'd rather be slopping some pigs.
Quote #8
Carlos: Mom says they won't buy me one until I'm 18, because she thinks the Gov. wouldn't challenge an adult's as much. And maybe they'll be cheaper then.
Pat: Maybe Sean and I will get ours by the time we're ninety. Dad and Mom have been saving for them as long as we can remember. (20.10-11)
These are shadow children in Jen's super secret chat room. What we're picking up here is that identities are for sale, but it costs an arm and a leg to get them. Just one more way the Barons have it easier.
Quote #9
Dad flashed him a look of pure disgust.
"Think it's funny? We'll see what you think next year when your feet grow and we don't have money for new shoes."
Mark stopped laughing. (21.7-9)
Ouch. Mark may be a farm kid with more responsibilities than you'd know what to do with, but he still doesn't get what it means to have no money. Mr. Garner sure does, though.
Quote #10
"The Government justifies keeping everyone else in poverty because people seem to work the hardest when they're right on the edge of survival," he continued. "The Government does try to make sure that most people--the ones who cooperate--do survive. If you've heard your parents talking about other farmers, you'll know that nobody loses their farms anymore. But, also, nobody ever makes enough to live comfortably." (28.36)
Surprise, surprise: turns out, the Government actually wants everyone to stay poor. We're not so sure about the logic here, though. Once you're on the edge of survival, working hard just seems like a waste of energy—especially if you know the government is just going to take your woods, your pigs, and your money.