In the novel Trash by Andy Mulligan, there is a deep insight into issues such as the dangers of living in poverty, and corruption. A further exploration can reveal how these issues affect the characters’ lives, and the places they travel to. The impoverished setting where the main characters must live, and the abuse of power by the police in the novel uncover more and more about the people and place in the story, as the plot progresses.
In the novel Trash, as we learn more about the dangers of living in poverty, we also discover more about the Behala dumpsite, the setting for much of the novel. Although a countless number of children around the world live in poverty, it can be hard for many of us to imagine what everyday life must be like for them. Impoverished communities are a struggle to live in, and this can be seen when Raphael is explaining how unique it is for the police to be visiting Behala. Comparison used in the…show more content… We had a murder a few months ago, and the police came then. An old man killed his wife – slit her throat and left her bleeding down the walls to the shack underneath. By the time they came he’d run and we never heard whether they got him.” emphasizes how the police only come to Behala in extremely dire situations, which therefore makes Behala a dangerous place to live due to the lack of authority. Simple crimes can be committed without any punishment, in poor communities such as the one described in the novel. The dangers of living in poverty can also give an insight into the characters. Raphael again warns of the risks of living in poverty when describing Rat. “He had arms skinny as pencils. You could break Jun’s arms with your finger and thumb.” This example explains just how truly malnourished some children can become whilst living in poor communities. The simile compares Rat’s arms to pencils to create a visual picture of how skinny Rat really