$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

Both of these chapters begin with the story of a family living in $2-a-day poverty. Most Americans aren’t aware that there are people in the United States who must survive with so little, and most would certainly struggle to imagine living in such conditions. By telling the stories of Susan Brown and Modonna Harris, the authors give extreme poverty a human face. They provide glimpses of what it is like to be the poorest of the poor. Modonna is shown waiting outside in the rain, standing in a long line for half an hour before the welfare office opens in the morning. Susan is seen sitting in her dilapidated house in the stifling summer heat, with matted carpet, broken furniture, and windows that won’t open.

We also catch glimpses of their emotions, especially their pain, despair, and exhaustion. Both women have suffered one defeat after another. Despite their distressing circumstances, we can see the small ways that the poor maintain their dignity and find moments of happiness. In the middle of Susan’s crumbling home sits a pristine dining table with an embroidered tablecloth and elegant china. Modonna and Brianna allowed themselves a few days at a hotel to forget their worries—it could be argued that it was a poor use of the little money they had, but it could also be argued that it was important for their mental wellbeing.

Telling their stories serves to humanize the poor, but it also serves to dispel negative stereotypes about them. There is an enduring narrative that the poor are lazy or otherwise responsible for their situation, and the authors make a point of showing how these families are actually quite normal. They are not without their flaws, but all of them work hard. Susan earned her GED and has taken classes at a community college. Her husband Devin graduated from high school. He has a clean record and work experience. Both of them desperately search for work, and Susan is crushed each time her search ends in failure. Modonna worked as a cashier for eight years and loved her job. She was fired when $10 went missing from the till—the money was later found, but she was never offered her job back. Modonna, Susan, and Devin are people who want nothing more than the chance to work and support their families.

While Susan and Modonna’s experiences are a central part of the opening chapters, the purpose of the book is not just to tell their stories. Edin and Shaefer also explore the government policies that affect the poorest members of society. In the Introduction the authors analyze survey data to support their claim that $2-a-day poverty has been on the rise in households with children. Chapter 1 then dives into a brief history of the welfare system in the United States, particularly the events leading up to the 1996 reform. The authors investigate the people involved in changing the welfare system, the mindsets and attitudes they held, and the effects the reform has had on the poor.

One of the key themes to emerge in Chapter 1 is that the poor, especially those on welfare, are often demonized or forgotten about. The 1996 reform largely came about because numerous Americans were taken aback that money was being given out to people who abused the welfare system—even though most of the money went to people who genuinely needed it. Once the reform was achieved, the matter was quickly forgotten about, as was the question of whether the needy were actually better off under the new system. While the final decades of the 20th century saw a considerable amount of public anger that people were getting money without working for it, there is not the same level of anger about the fact that people are suffering in extreme poverty.