Narratives of Misfortune

Abstract

People who apply for financial aid from a private organization have to produce a narrative that is, in effect, a plot of their lives. The article first looks at the specific context in which these narratives are produced, enabling us to show the consistently virtuous nature of
the narratives collected. Next, we draw from these narratives the three figures of legitimate poverty that form the moral horizon within which private welfare unfolds: application, surviva, and powerlessness.