Student Question
How did the town care for its poor and what were the pros and cons of this method?
Quick answer:
The town cared for its poor by providing minimal welfare, such as meager lodging in an unfriendly house, ensuring basic survival but in depressing conditions. The pros of this method include its low cost, as it does not significantly drain town resources. However, the cons are that it leaves the poor barely surviving and unable to contribute positively to the town's well-being due to their inadequate support.
It seems that the town did the bare minimum for the poor Bray sisters. The only thing worse would have been to leave them out in the cold alone, destitute and helpless. In short, the town provided a sort of welfare for their poor, providing them meager lodging in an unfriendly house. They are surviving but in depressing conditions. The poor sisters have only enough food and clothing for survival, and nothing more.
The advantage of the current system is that it is cheap. The poor have not been given anything of value, so they are not a drain on town resources. However, the poor sisters are barely surviving and certainly are far from comfortable.
A disadvantage to consider is that these two women, though poor, could possibly contribute to the well-being of the town if they were only provided for better. With proper clothing and supplies, they might be able to work or produce food that could be used for their own sustenance, or even shared with others.
Now you can consider the possibilities, and decide which would be a better method of care for the town poor.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.