The Glass of Milk

The severity of the poverty that oppresses the young man and those around him is clear in the story. The port offers little predictability regarding which vessels will offer work and for how long. Also, the young man, preferring the ocean’s openness and communal nature, must navigate a cold and isolating city. Contrary to morality tales that insist hard work will reap rewards, his experience, skills, and work ethic do not earn him a job as he cannot compete with the number of individuals fighting for limited opportunities. The capitalist system simply makes him another anonymous lower-class individual who needs money and food, a fact reinforced by the lack of character names in the story.

Many of the character descriptions reveal the difficulty this class position imposes upon these individuals. The protagonist is described as “a young, slim man” who wanders the port “with his hands in his pockets, distracted or lost in thought” (Paragraph 2). His defeated posture contrasts with the typical expectations of a young man. He is reduced to circumstances in this instance; he is his hunger and desperation. He is not able to display his individuality or grow as a young man; like