Twenty Years at Hull House · Chapter
VII: Problems of Poverty explained
Addams details the harsh realities of poverty faced by immigrants and the working poor in Chicago, including the plight of a German peasant woman whose daughters fell to vice, the neglect of children left alone while mothers worked, and the
What happens
Addams details the harsh realities of poverty faced by immigrants and the working poor in Chicago, including the plight of a German peasant woman whose daughters fell to vice, the neglect of children left alone while mothers worked, and the terror of the poorhouse among the elderly. She illustrates the Settlement's role as an intermediary between institutions and the needy, and highlights the resilience of impoverished individuals who pursue higher ends despite material deprivation.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Economic Inequality
The chapter vividly depicts the economic exploitation of immigrant workers, the precariousness of life for the poor, and the vast gap between the wealthy and those who struggle to survive.
Immigration and Cultural Assimilation
Focus on a German peasant woman and other immigrants facing poverty, language barriers, and the failure of American institutions to protect them.
Gender and Women's Roles
Highlights the burdens on women—mothers working outside the home, the vulnerability of daughters to vice, and the unique plight of elderly women in the poorhouse.
Characters to notice
- Jane Addams
Narrator and observer of poverty; describes Hull House's early experiences with the poor, including a German peasant woman, neglected children, and elderly women fearing the poorhouse.
- Mrs. Moran
Referenced indirectly as 'Mrs. S.'—a woman whose husband returns after abuse and neglect, illustrating the 'miracle of affection' that outlives mistreatment.
- Goosie
Not explicitly named in excerpts; no direct match found.
- Miss Norah Hamilton
Not explicitly mentioned in these excerpts.
- Florence Kelley
Not explicitly mentioned in these excerpts.
Key passages
“This piteous dependence of the poor upon the good will of public officials was made clear to us in an early experience with a peasant woman straight from the fields of Germany, whom we met during our first six months at Hull House.”
Addams recounts an early encounter with a German immigrant woman who, after years of hard labor, saw her daughters fall into vice, illustrating how the poor are at the mercy of public officials.
Demonstrates the theme of immigration and the failure of legal protections.
“The first three crippled children we encountered in the neighborhood had all been injured while their mothers were at work: one had fallen out of a third-story window, another had been burned, and the third had a curved spine due to the fact that for three years he had been tied all day long to the leg of the kitchen table.”
Three children were permanently injured because their mothers had to work and could not supervise them, leading to accidents and neglect.
Highlights the lack of child care and safety in poor working-class families.
“The poor old creature had thrown herself bodily upon a small and battered chest of drawers and clung there, clutching it so firmly that it would have been impossible to remove her without also taking the piece of furniture.”
An elderly woman physically clung to her chest of drawers to resist being taken to the poorhouse, symbolizing her desperate attachment to the last remnant of normal life.
Illustrates the terror of the poorhouse and the theme of class inequality.