"Because the spirit of charity has perished in this country. Because those who accept charity despise it, while those who give give with a despairing heart. What is the point of charity hen it does not go from heart to heart?...It is as hard to receive as it is to give. It takes as much effort" (22).
Mrs. Curren makes a poignant reference to the loss of charity and gratitude in the world today. It is not only lost in South Africa and the United States either; in my Spanish in Politics and Society class today we talked about Argentina and the exile of all the "mendigas" or homeless people in 1977. The discussion was heated. Students quickly took both sides; some agreed with ignoring the homeless who often just turn to alcohol and drugs anyway, and others offered that the homeless need hope for a future from those capable of helping them. Giving and receiving. Should we abandon the ritual? Is our generation capable of giving without strings attached or capable of receiving without forgetting to express our gratitude? I certainly hope not.
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