Suki Kim's Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl's Habits
Charmaine Small
English 111
September 17, 2012
Summary Response essay
Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits
I always thought about what would wealthy people feel if they were in poor people’s shoes. To see how middle class people struggle with money instead of assuming everything is easy. I wondered if wealthy people would do if they went bankrupt and how that person would get back on their feet. What intrigued me to write my essay is a memoir that I read called “Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits.” The Memoir is about the author named Suki Kim and the essay came from The New York Times newspaper.
This woman named Suki Kim's life changed instantly. In the beginning she talks about Queens, New York in 1983 where she lived at, at the time. She describe their first home as “the upstairs of a two-family brownstone in Woodside”(Kim, page 92 ). She also said “the place was crammed, ugly place” and compared that to where she use to live in South Korea (Kim, Page 92). When she entered seventh grade her father’s company went bankrupt overnight and he was a millionaire shipping company, mining business and hotels. However, when the bankruptcy happen jail time was required because that was the punishment for her father. So without any money at all they flew to America into the state of New York. Sense Suki Kim came from South Korea, she couldn't speak any English at all. In fact the only first English word she knew was F.O.B (“Fresh off the boat”) because in junior high school all the teens was saying that about her. Miss Kim had transportation from a chauffeur when she used to live in South Korea and now that she lives in Queens, New York she has to ride on the public school bus with all the other teens. Another thing that changed in her life traumatically was that she had never done homework without a governess helping Miss Kim. She also noticed that a house can get really messy when she don't have a maid around anymore to clean up after her. Suki was
English 111
September 17, 2012
Summary Response essay
Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits
I always thought about what would wealthy people feel if they were in poor people’s shoes. To see how middle class people struggle with money instead of assuming everything is easy. I wondered if wealthy people would do if they went bankrupt and how that person would get back on their feet. What intrigued me to write my essay is a memoir that I read called “Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits.” The Memoir is about the author named Suki Kim and the essay came from The New York Times newspaper.
This woman named Suki Kim's life changed instantly. In the beginning she talks about Queens, New York in 1983 where she lived at, at the time. She describe their first home as “the upstairs of a two-family brownstone in Woodside”(Kim, page 92 ). She also said “the place was crammed, ugly place” and compared that to where she use to live in South Korea (Kim, Page 92). When she entered seventh grade her father’s company went bankrupt overnight and he was a millionaire shipping company, mining business and hotels. However, when the bankruptcy happen jail time was required because that was the punishment for her father. So without any money at all they flew to America into the state of New York. Sense Suki Kim came from South Korea, she couldn't speak any English at all. In fact the only first English word she knew was F.O.B (“Fresh off the boat”) because in junior high school all the teens was saying that about her. Miss Kim had transportation from a chauffeur when she used to live in South Korea and now that she lives in Queens, New York she has to ride on the public school bus with all the other teens. Another thing that changed in her life traumatically was that she had never done homework without a governess helping Miss Kim. She also noticed that a house can get really messy when she don't have a maid around anymore to clean up after her. Suki was
References: Suki K. (November 21, 2004) Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl 's Habits. In Roen D., Glau G., and Maid B. (Eds.), The McGraw Hill Guide Writing for College, Writing for Life.(p. 92-94). Boston,MA: McGraw Hill