Chapter 4: Money Hungry Summary and Analysis

Children raised in poor homes were intimately aware of the pain of doing without material goods, as were children in households where the man frugally controlled all the funds. Many women, especially in past decades, were given allowances and did not know how much their husbands made. Bell's father thought money should only be spent for essentials while her mother saw the need for some luxuries. The children in such families were made aware of the burden they placed on their parents' economics causing them lasting shame and guilt. At Stanford, Bell felt the sting of having unstylish clothing but she had learned from her mother to make the most of the least. Bell would search the thrift stores for clothes that were both stylish and inexpensive.

Bell and her male partner bought a house together. There...