“Spare Change” by Teresa Zsuffa is a story that tells about a short episode from the lives of two women, but it reveals several important themes and motives. The main thesis of the story is the idea that people should not give in to their bias but be kind to others in small things. Throughout the essay, the author covers this topic, demonstrating how the narrator progresses from an unwillingness to make eye contact with a poor-looking woman to worrying about her fate. I think the title “Spare Change” is good for the story as it describes the situation and has hidden meaning. On the one hand, the spare change that Zsuffa offers characterizes the problem of poverty in which the woman finds herself. On the other hand, this gesture demonstrates the distanced relationship of women who have just met. The spare change and food are the most Zsuffa can do for a stranger, although it is an act of kindness that other people have not manifested.
Zsuffa tells this story to show the realism of a world where people live with entirely different concerns and problems. Probably Zsuffa was impressed by this situation, as well as by the fact that she can do nothing for the woman except hear her and offer her dinner. However, even this act of kindness can make the world a better place. For the same reason, this essay is designated as a narrative because the author tells her story to convey the impact of these events on her. The essay of Zsuffa narrates but does not inform because, through the description of the characters’ thoughts, gestures, and actions, the author conveys their feelings but does not simply provide the story of the woman. The storyteller’s experiences help explain the meaning of the issue of poverty and engage the reader, which is an ordinary person who can empathize. At the same time, if the story simply informed about the life of one of the thousands of addicted women with a difficult fate, it probably would not have found an emotional response from the audience.
At the same time, the author uses many descriptive passages to convey the atmosphere of the place and the mood of the situation. Zsuffa manages to do this effectively, since she easily draws in the imagination of the reader the pictures needed. For example, Zsuffa says, “This grime is infectious. The smell of old cigarettes and expired perfume is constricting my throat and turning my stomach. But here I am again on the subway platform, changing trains at Bloor-Yonge in Toronto, the weight of my backpack thrusting me forward with the Friday morning rush hour crowd ”(para. 1). It is easy for the reader to imagine this place by analogy with the subways of most cities in smell, crowds’ noise, and traffic, even if they have never been to Toronto. Consequently, the author has appropriately used common images to describe the features of the place.
Therefore, the author sheds light on the problem of inequality and poverty that exists in the modern world and which people prefer not to notice by creating vivid descriptions and short dialogues. On the one hand, the reader may think that Zsuffa only describes a casual and interesting meeting, which she remembered for its unusualness compared to routine events. However, the author conveyed to the reader the influence that this meeting had on her and made the audience think about the inequity of the world.