How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"She threw a child out of the window and killed it. They used all their influence and got her free. A poor woman would have gotten the chair…" (8.55)
Mrs. Renling, nowhere near poverty herself, observes that the criminal justice system doesn't treat the rich and poor equally. Augie doesn't inquire further into her politics. They don't have any objection to giving him a "free ride," if that implies anything.
Quote #5
Open at the seams, the gloves showed how I had lost my grip on prosperity. And I was getting dirty, for a salesman, for whose appearance there are laws which are supposed to guarantee a certain firmness of personality. (9.35)
Augie is in a no-win situation. He needs money for clean, undamaged clothing, but he needs good clothes to make money. Torn and dirty garments are a sign of poverty and bad moral character. This is a false sign, but it's one people believe. Any middle-schooler will tell you that much.
Quote #6
There were flashlights swinging from car to car as cops emptied them, and then the train went off, cleared of riders, down into the semaphore lights and oily blues of the track. (9.93)
Not having money for transportation, a lot of people hitched rides on trains. You've probably heard the derogatory term "free-riders" used for people who depend on welfare programs. Well, here's the origin.