poverty in society theme
Social issues relating to there being large numbers of poor people in a society are explored.
Notes
This theme is typically used in relation to absolute poverty, i.e., when the poor have trouble providing for their most basic needs such as food, clothing, sanitation, and shelter.
Examples
In "Red Beard" (1965), we saw vividly how society treated the poor in 19th century Japan.
25 total · 2 choice · 4 major · 18 minor
| Story | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| ds93x11 | choice | sanctuary areas in San Francisco created for homeless people |
| ds93x12 | choice | sanctuary areas in San Francisco created for homeless people |
| movie: Bowery at Midnight (1942) | major | Professor Brenner's soup kitchen was frequented by those less fortunate. |
| movie: Red Beard (1965) | major | we saw how society treated the poor in 19th century Japan |
| movie: Scrooge (1951) | major | Scrooge was initially dismissive of the plight of the poor and flippantly wished they would hurry up and die to help reduce the surplus population. He later reversed his opinion in a most dramatic turn of events. In addition, the way the Fred and his well to do friends celebrated Christmas was contrasted with Alice serving soup to people in the poor house. |
| theamericanshortstory13 | major | The viewer is shown a depiction of the poverty in which Reconstruction era sharecroppers lived. |
| bbf4x08 | minor | journalist complained about the conditions in down-under |
| ftt1982e2x03 | minor | The prince was looking to get food for the starving poor. |
| ftt1982e4x07 | minor | The Emperor refused to see a representative of the "Poverty Stricken and Leprosy Association", complaining that all they wanted was "food, work, and jobs". After learning his lesson, the Emperor proclaimed there would be a free dinner for the needy in the town square. |
| ftt1982e5x01 | minor | The narrator described how Aladdin made a point to share his wealth with the poor and needy. |