Poor, Poverty Quotes

He is as poor, as one might imagine an itinerant philosopher to be. Yet, as the weeks go by, I see he is unfailingly generous to all of us who lives in the house. I am grateful to have a friend.

It's easy for somebody rich to talk about being poor like it's some bothersome fly you just wave away.

I've been poor my whole life. So were my parents, their parents before them. It's like a disease... passing from generation to generation, becomes a sickness. That's what it is. Infects every person you know... But not my children. Not anymore. This is theirs now.

— She doesn't like the rich persons...
— And we are poor. How to convince her that we are poor people?
— How could we fouled them at the hotel to think that we are rich people?

You know, it occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people.

– I fear you would have a long engagement, three or four years… John must secure a house before you can marry and do his service to the Union.
– John? Marry?... You mean that pokey old Mr. Brooke?... How did he weasel his way into this family?
– Jo! John has been very kind to visit father in the hospital every day…
– He's dull as powder. Meg, can't you at least marry someone amusing?
– I'm fond of Mr. Brooke. He's a good man. He's kind and serious... And I'm not afraid of being poor.
– Marmee, you can't just let her go and marry him!
– I'd hardly just go and marry anyone.
– I would rather Meg marry for love and be a poor man's wife than marry for riches and lose her self-respect.