Financial Gaps in Mexico and The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Out of the total population in Mexico, twenty million are considered to live in extreme poverty. (DePalma, nytimes.com) In The Pearl by John Steinbeck, (which takes place in Baja California, Mexico) the main character and his wife live in very poor conditions; however, just a few miles away from their village, lives a rich town. This presents a major gap in the quality of life between these classes. The answers to the questions discussed in this paper (i.e., â€Å"To what extent is this financial gap in Mexico?† â€Å"Why does this gap exist?† and â€Å"What could we have done to prevent this gap?†) provide a basis of understanding of this topic. Although The Pearl was written in 1945, this paper will be focusing on these issues in present-day Mexico.†¦show more content†¦This paper has shown that there is, indeed, a gap in Mexico that needs to be closed. But the reader might wonder, How did this gap come to exist in the first place? There are multiple a nswers to this, but only the three major possible causes will be explored. The first cause deals with the conditions of the poor citizens. It has been shown that the levels of education, skill, intelligence, health, and race all provide factors for poverty; there is simply not enough access to education, and too few job opportunities. The second possible cause of this has to do with location. Poor areas develop due to a lack of communication and transportation in rural areas. Because of this, the government has no way to provide food and water, health care, or education. People that live there are virtually isolated from the rest of society. The third, and most plausible cause, is the economy and government of Mexico. Institutions interested in decreasing poverty do not have to the chance to do this, because the government fails to carry out sufficient policies to encourage positive development. (The Causes of Poverty in Mexico, Eslbee.com) All three of these causesShow MoreRelatedT he New York World s Fair Corporation1756 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican author, John Steinbeck, explores in two of his novellas. The first, Of Mice and Men, follows the lovable characters George and Lennie and their struggles during the Great Depression. The second, The Pearl, follows two natives of Mexico, Kino and Juana. Three of the four characters just named, do not fit the molds of their societies. Because of this, they are treated differently and are often marginalized. Steinbeck is criticizing this and he is emphasizing how unfair social gaps in societiesRead MoreAmerican Revolution and Study Guide Essay example5377 Words   |  22 Pagesâ€Å"The Planting of English America† 1. Discuss English treatment of the Irish and its consequence (10pts) 2. What lessons do you think English colonists learned from their early Jamestown experience? Focus on matters of fulfilling expectations, financial support, leadership skills, and relations with the Indians. What specific developments illustrate that the English living in the plantation colonies tried to apply these lessons? (25 pts) 2. Compare and contrast the ways in which tobacco and