The Poor Are Always With Us
Uploaded by lisalimm@yahoo.com on Mar 14, 2009
The Poor Are Always With Us
Tobias Wolff’s short story “The Poor Are Always with Us” portrays one man’s discovery of the road he will choose to follow in life. Set in California during the 1970’s on Easter weekend, Russell is an affluent computer genius who finds himself completely remote from society and unhappy. After meeting Dave and Groves at his mechanic’s garage, Russell faces many tribulations, particularly when trying to deal with Dave’s pugnacious demeanor. Through self-discovery, Russell finally comes to the conclusion that there will always be winners and losers in life. The saying, “It just wasn’t in the cards for him…” may depict Wolff’s resulting indeterminate view on life and how the universe functions. Russell realizes that through reverse social Darwinism, he too, can find his meaning of happiness.
After trying desperately to fit into society, a portrait of a sad, completely alone Russell is painted. In Russell’s case, “fitting into society” means having friends. His lack of friends causes him to have conversations with himself, lie about his age, and gamble his car in a pointless bet. Russell’s quiet desperation is showcased when he takes a hit of marijuana and jauntily states, “Gracias. That’s righteous weed.” (Wolff 67). Revealing how easily he falls into peer pressure, Russell acts like a high- school dropout just so that he can impress two strangers. Also, his use of the expression “righteous” is an example of one of his many attempts to be upbeat and “cool.” A strong representative of one of the “weakest” in society, Russell’s struggles seem to portray that money elevates positively one’s favorable status in society.
The phenomenon of a community’s protection towards those who are socially incompetent, or reverse social Darwinism, allows Russell to come out on top in society. In our contemporary time, the “fittest” in society is defined not by those who are gregarious, clever, attractive and athletic, but rather by those who have money.
Considered to be two of the most powerful men in the history of our world, Bill Gates and John D. Rockefeller portray this type of social system clearly. In a conversation the story’s social outcast frequently has to himself, Russell answers his “roommate” by disclosing to him that he made “more money that you [he] needed, almost twice as much as your [his] own father made after thirty years of teaching high school math” (Wolff 70). Despite his many...