Neglect and Poverty in Scarborough Anonymous 12th Grade

Lack of familial support is the primary reasoning behind low self-esteem and insufficient development in children. In Catherine Hernandez’s Scarborough, poverty is the root cause of neglect. In the novel, Sylvie displays the obstructive impact of neglect as she faces seclusion and concealment of emotions. Secondly, Bing’s father neglecting him due to an inability to afford mental health treatment causes Bing to develop low self-esteem. Lastly, poverty causes Laura’s father to neglect her unintentionally, leading to a lack of confidence and emotional instability. Although some may argue neglect and abuse has no justification, this essay will show that poverty is the unequivocal source of parental undoing and lack of confidence in children, thus suggesting that those who lack financial security unintentionally neglect their children and cause detrimental effects to their development.

To begin, Sylvie’s mother, Marie, is unable to attend to her son’s autistic needs which causes her to unintentionally neglect both Sylvie and Johnny. When Marie begins to suspect behavioural differences in her son, Johnny, she visits a doctor who states, “Once your housing is settled and Johnny is a bit older, maybe then we can talk about assessments...