Jane Yoder was a middle class citizen who feared going into debt because growing up, her family barley had any money and she was afraid of having to raise her children the way she had to be raised. Jane grew up with limited amounts of food, clothing, and shelter. In the new generation when she had a family of her own to raise, she realized that people had more things than what was necessary, such as more than one sweater, and unlimited amounts of food. She did not think it was necessary for children to be given more than they needed because she knew there were people around the world, like her, who had to suffer without many things. She came to realization that children have become much more nurtured than they used to be. When Jane was a kid, her father was given a job at the Works Progress Administration. The WPA offered work to unemployed people, and redistributed food, clothes, and shelter. Many people who were more fortunate than Jane, made comments about the WPA. People would state that the WPA is not a respectable job, but any job was great for the Yoder's because she needed a way to survive. "Before I could ever say that my father was employed in the WPA, discussions in the bull sessions in our rooms immediately was: these lazy people, they shovel leaners...In my family, there was no respectable employment. I thought, you don't know what it's like...Gee these are just two seperate worlds."(129-130) This shows that anything they were given was greatly appreciated, but people who did not have to suffer like Jane did would never understand what is would be like to live the way she did because everything had always been given to them. One question that Jane Yoder's story made me think of is how can she go through life resenting people for spending their money on "unnecessary" things, and what will she do to encourage people to think of poor people before themselves? Years later, Jane Yoder had a child, Tom Yoder. His thoughts on the fact that children have become more nurtured reflects on how his generation is different from the generation that Jane grew up in. Tom defends the people who want to buy more than they need because it is their right. He grew up with everything he needed to survive, and never had to worry about not having food, clothes, and shelter. This story about Jane Yoder relates to the settlers from the 1800's who faced many challenges, and had to move into soddy's, which were dugouts. Jane Yoder could relate to the settlers because she had to also make do with the little bit that she had. This story also relates to people today because in the north shore, many people of all ages do not completely understand the value of money, and spend it on big houses, nice clothes, and other things. Many people also believe that money is what makes people happy, and that is what Jane Yoder was afraid of.
The second story I read was about Peggy Terry, a spokeswoman for poor people, who learned to not feel ashamed of being poor. Growing up, Peggy witnessed many dust storms that would take out houses, clothes on clotheslines, and more. Many people whose things were ruined did not have enough money to replace anything. When Peggy was younger, it was not uncommon to be poor, and she was never ashamed of it. She would go to soup kitchens with her friends and feel no shame because she did not know any other way to live. One day, Peggy's father took he to see people who lived in even worse conditions than her, and a little girl gave her a book called, "Grapes of Wrath." This book taught Peggy to never feel ashamed of being poor. "And when I was reading 'Grapes of Wrath,' this was just like my life. I was never so proud of poor people before, as I was after I read that book...I don't think people were put on this earth to suffer...I think we were put her to live and be happy and to enjoy everything that's here. I don't think it's right for a handful of people to get a hold of all the things that make living a joy instead of sorrow."(146) Peggy believes in being possitive about what you have because you have it for a reason. Peggy has noticed that as time has gone by, people have become ashamed of being poor because people have become more judgemental, and she was encouraged to become a spokesperson for poor people because she does not want that shame to be present. Peggy did not grow up with all the things that others had, but it taught her a lesson, and now she has become a spokeswomen for poor people; she influences many people around the world to believe that being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. Peggy Terry relates to Martin Luther Kind Jr. because he fought for blacks to have the right to be accepted, and Peggy is fighting for poor people to have the right to be accepted. This story as a whole relates to the SAGA group at Deerfield High School. The SAGA club allows straight and gay people to accept their differences and never feel ashamed, while Peggy Terry speaks out to encourage poor people to accept their differences and to never feel ashamed.
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