Literature Blog

         One essential question I had for the book Trash by Andy Mulligan is what was the importance of the suitcase that is hidden with Rat and why do the police want it? As we read farther into the book, we realize that the bag is very, very important. The bag's importance was the fact that it lead Gardo, Rat, and Raphael to a locker key with a secret code. This secret code leads to 6 million dollars stolen from a the vice-president. The vice-president has been stealing money from the government. The police interrogate Raphael, but he doesn't give in.
         Both the book and the article are about child poverty. In the book, there are many perspectives on Behala. Behala is the setting and where the three boys, Gardo, Raphael, and Rat, live. One perspective in the book is by depicted by Raphael. He states, "...there's a lot of things hard to come by  in our sweet city, and one of the things too many people don't have is toilets and running water. So when they have to go, they do it where they can. Most of those people live in boxes, and the boxes are stacked up tall and high." (1) Another perspective we see from in the book is from a temporary house mother named Olivia. She says, "The Behala children are beautiful, and to see them on the rubbish tips all day can break your heart. If you come to this country, do the tourist things. But come to Behala too and see the mountains of trash, and the children who pick over them. It is a thing to change your life." (84) These quotes show the harsh reality of Behala. The government is so corrupted that they aren't taking any action into the matter. It's sad to think these children neglect their education and drop out of school because education in Behala is less important than picking through trash. Children drop out of school to pick trash and help support their families.
         On the other hand, in the article "The Child Poverty Prescription," it states that, "Clearly, we can and should do more. According to a 2015 analysis...we could cut child poverty by 60 percent, raising 6.6 million more children out of poverty." In contrast, in the book, the government isn't doing anything about child poverty. While in the article, there have been some forms of help and ideas to decrease child poverty. The article also stated that, "We can and should cure child poverty. Each child deserves a fair chance at a healthy, productive life." I agree with this quote because it's very true. No child should live in poverty. Children should just live their life as happy as possible. Overall, I felt bad for the families living in Behala. Although this book is just fiction, it hurts to hear about the everyday experience these children and their families go through.

Dreyer, Benard. "The Child Poverty Prescription." U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World  Report, 09 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 May 2017.

Mulligan, Andy. Trash. London: Definitions, 2015. Print.