Roxane Gay reflects on her experience visiting Haiti, highlighting her lack of understanding of true poverty before this trip. She distinguishes between relative and absolute poverty, gaining a deeper insight into the harsh realities faced by many. Her observations of visible and widespread poverty in Haiti opened her eyes to the severity of the issue.

This life-changing experience left Gay deeply affected, reinforcing the significance of recognizing and understanding poverty in its most severe forms. She emphasizes how confronting such stark realities can profoundly impact one's perspectives on socioeconomic issues.