GCSE English Paper 2 Revision (5)

Two Scavengers

• What is it about?
• the rich-poor divide
• the difference in culture between rich and the poor
• The cultures are juxtaposed in the poem, and it seems like they might mix and interact, but eventually they are still divided
• shows us the simple contrast between different groups of people
• explores the American belief that all men are created equal which is not actually true.
• What do I need to know about the author?
• From New York - great rich-poor divide
• once arrested for petty theft - thieves can be seen as trying to bridge the gap between rich and poor because they try to exist in the world of the rich.
• he is from a city - cities often contain a lot of different cultures.
• What poetic features are noteworthy?
• the garbagemen are described vibrantly - "bright yellow garbage truck" and "red plastic blazers". the descriptions are also simple, like the most of the rest of the poem.
• "elegant open Mercedes" and "elegant couple" - the repeated adjective shows the lack of variation in their lives.
• "in a…