Poverty

Rick Bragg's childhood was characterized by impoverishment. Neither Charles nor Margaret Bragg had high school or college educations. Calhoun County was a poor county in Alabama as well. It didn't help that Charles was an alcoholic and had no job. He was never home and brought only stress and pain to the Bragg home. Margaret could only find jobs doing back-breaking labor for low wages. She picked cotton until the cotton picking machines took over; afterwards, she picked tomatoes and pecans off the ground. She would also wash clothes.

The Bragg home had two rooms, with Margaret, Sam, Rick and Mark crowded together. Margaret didn't own the home they lived in, as it was owned by Bragg's aunt and uncle. The family was also reliant on family and the government from money, food and clothes.

Bragg didn't realize how poor he was until high school when his girlfriend...