How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
It wasn't that our situation was so precarious. […] We weren't destitute. But I guess we weren't that far off either. (1.16)
America's family is in a place where many working-class and middle-class families find themselves: making ends meet, but one disaster away from complete bankruptcy. As a result, they're forced to live life like they're walking on a tight rope.
Quote #2
He had much steadier work than we did but got paid significantly less. There was never enough food for his family. (2.31)
Aspen's family is even worse off than America's. The cruel irony is that Aspen works his hunky little butt off, but no matter how hard he tries, there's literally no way he can work his family out of poverty. That's just not how the caste system was constructed.
Quote #3
I had seen him cry only once, when they whipped his brother in the square. Little Jemmy had stolen some fruit off a cart in the market. (2.72)
That's pretty rough. Given what we know about Aspen's family's financial status, however, Little Jemmy probably only stole fruit because he would have starved without it. He had no other choice. What's the other interpretation of the situation? That he just loves pulling off apple heists?