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The Bean Eaters Poverty Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (line)

Quote #1

They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair. (line 1)

We've said it before and we'll say it again: beans aren't that great. They just happen to be the cheapest food you can buy. Our guess? This couple isn't exactly rolling in the dough.

Quote #2

Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,
Tin flatware. (lines 3-4)

Just about everything in this description points to a family that never had too much money in the good times – and the present day sure isn't part of the good times. Everything is cracked and chipped and, well, generally falling apart.

Quote #3

Two who have lived their day, (line 6)

The poverty that this couple is living in might be made worse by the fact that they're both elderly – perhaps even too old to work.