Digging in the Trash

Write an analytical essay (900-1200 words) in which you analyze and comment on David Joy’s essay “Digging in the Trash”.

Part of your essay must focus on how the writer uses personal experiences and on the themes explored in the text.

The gap between rich and poor

The essay also explores the gap between the rich and the poor. On various occasions, David Joy points out that being privileged makes people think differently. This is why he believes some people cannot understand the purpose of his novels: “A part of me couldn’t understand why that was noteworthy, but I guess it seems strange to people on the outside.” (ll. 133-135)

Moreover, the writer openly criticizes the way rich people tend to look down on the poor: “I’m tired of standing by silently while privileged people in privileged places strip those less fortunate of their humanity.” (ll. 289-292); “I’m tired of an America where all the folks I’ve ever loved are dismissed as trash, where people are reduced to something subhuman simply because of where they live.” (ll. 295-298)