Poverty and Violence in Joyce Carol Oates's Fiction

Joyce Carol Oates, one of America’s most prestigious and prolific contemporary writers, favors depicting the dark side of America, especially poverty and violence. This paper studies Oates’ s depiction of abject poverty, of those most powerless and vulnerable and those who cannot attain the food, water, and shelter necessary for survival during the Great Depression. Then, relative poverty after the Depression is also discussed. Oates keenly observes "the invisible poor" in the affluent American society and gives voice to those relatively deprived and marginal. By analyzing the relationship between poverty and violence, this paper concludes that Oates tries to awaken readers to the social malaise and the real life of the downtrodden and at the same time calls for passion and life’s energy. The obsession with the darkest sides of the society is not a sick fondness but reflects the social conscience of Oates as a serious writer.