Matt Taibbi's The Divide

In his novel, The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap, Matt Taibbi juxtaposes the wealthy and the poor in order to illustrate the disparity between the treatment of high-class criminals and lower-class citizens. The novel also notes the growth of the inequality and the schism between the classes. He uses illuminating narratives from both of the classes to demonstrate the huge difference between the rich and the poor in terms of how they are treated by the American justice system. Taibbi’s book opened my eyes to the extent of this injustice and from that I have learned a great deal, most which I can apply to my position as a Resident Advisor.
From his novel, I have become significantly more aware of this inequality between
With this awareness, I can avoid making assumptions about the struggles someone has faced. As an RA it is important to be aware of how my words may be interpreted and may affect my community. This book has shown me more of the worlds that some of my residents may be coming from. In a way, it has better prepared me to be able to discuss these problems, should a resident approach me. After reading this novel, I can better picture what people mean when they criticize how stringent the welfare system is, while big banks commit fraud seemingly quite often. Additionally, I can spread this awareness to my residents to help them to understand the forces working against lower-class people and for high-class people. A part of my job is to foster an inclusive community and exposing my residents to the various aspects of wealth is a part of that. Through programs I implement or just my everyday interactions with them, I can guide residents to expand their knowledge through exploration of this book. In doing so, I also help the to discover new information for themselves by providing them the tools to learn.
Matt Taibbi’s novel, The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap, provides an in-depth look into the inequality of the justice system. By reading his book, I feel I have learned much more about the struggles lower class people face and the privilege given to those in higher classes. With this newfound knowledge, I can convey these issues to my residents, as well, in order to allow them to be further conscious of their actions and mindful of the different challenges associated with