Poverty and Wealth

The differences between poverty and wealth figure strongly in "The News from Ireland." The difficult life of the poor Irish—though they are not seen—is sharply contrasted with the ease of the Pulvertafts' life. The Pulvertafts are a wealthy English family. They enjoy the means to maintain a large estate with several servants. They have the money to provide food for the poor, donations to beggars, and even to employ a number of men to build a road that will encircle their property. The road is essentially an act of charity: it goes nowhere and is unnecessary, but it gives some of the local men a way to earn money. Mr. Pulvertaft acknowledges this truth with his orders to Erskine: "We must continue to occupy these men." Despite a superficial understanding of the plight of their lessfortunate neighbors, the Pulvertafts continue to live...