Essay Topic

Discuss how Andy Mulligan represents the divide between the rich
and the poor in the novel TRASH.
In the novel Trash, Andy Mulligan details the lives of three boys,
Raphael, Gardo and Rat or Jun-Jun. These three boys live in the
dumpsite of Behala. Andy Mulligan has described the struggle
between the rich and the poor in detail. This novel really shows the
deep, dark side of poverty. The biggest struggle in the lives of the
poor are these three things, Education, Money and their living
conditions.

Andy Mulligan shows a clear line between the living conditions of the
rich and the poor.
Rich: p 118, Mr-Vice President had bought up paradise
and got his boys on the front door in case anyone
came wanting a piece of it. This quote shows that Mr-Vice
President is quite wealthy.
In comparison to the poor, the rich people are corrupt and rule over
the poor people. The poor people have little money.
The poor people dont have a long life span as they often breathe in
toxic gases. The rich people have access to the very best doctors and
medication.
Andy Mulligan shows the big divide between the very rich and the
very poor.
pg 121 The man had chosen his spot, ill say that for

him. Hed bought up the prettiest bit of the woods in

the land where the grass ran down nice and flat, Hed
built himself a palace, for the king he thought he
was.
This quote shows that The Man has a big palace and that he can
afford to spend a fair bit of money.
pg 3: Most of those people live in boxes, and the
boxes are stacked up tall and high.
This quote describes the less privileged people of Behalas living
conditions. It describes the poverty of Behala and some of its
disadvantaged people that in habit the Behala dump.
These quotes define the two classes in the city of Behala.
Many people of Behala have little money, Senator Zapanta has lots.
pg 170: The very fact that Vice-President Senator
Regis Zapanta keeps millions of dollars of cash in his
own home suggests that he is part of a corrupt other
world.
Senator Zapanta has a lot of money and is very corrupt. He has
decided to keep his money in a vault under his house.
pg 6: On a good day Ill make two hundred pesos, On a
bad maybe 50.
This focuses on the amount of money these pickers make whilst
digging trash. These pickers will search through mounds of trash
everyday.

To summarise, Andy Mulligan has drawn a line between the rich and
the poor, and that line is made of money.
In Conclusion, Andy Mulligan has put great detail into the description
of the main protagonists. The living conditions described are in great
detail. The people of the Behala dumpsite have next to nothing and
are often beaten by local law in-forcement. Andy Mulligan has gone
into great descriptive language to give the reader the best in-sight in
the poverty of Behala