--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have been poor and I wanted to document…" description: "\"I have been poor and I wanted to document poverty; I had lost a child and I was obsessed with birth; I was interested in politics and I wanted to know ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eve-arnold-16752_affected_i-have-been-poor-and-i-wanted-to-documen_936918.jpg" --- # I have been poor and I wanted to document poverty; I had… ![“I have been poor and I wanted to document poverty; I had lost a child and I was obsessed with birth; I was interested in politics and I wanted to know how it affected our lives; I am a woman and I wanted to know about women.” quote by Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eve-arnold-16752_affected_i-have-been-poor-and-i-wanted-to-documen_936918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eve-arnold-16752_affected_i-have-been-poor-and-i-wanted-to-documen_936918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/eve-arnold-16752_affected_i-have-been-poor-and-i-wanted-to-documen_936918.jpg) > “I have been poor and I wanted to document poverty; I had lost a child and I was obsessed with birth; I was interested in politics and I wanted to know how it affected our lives; I am a woman and I wanted to know about women.” [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on multiple personal motivations—poverty, loss, politics, and gender—driving a desire to document and understand these experiences. **In simple terms:** She wants to capture and study personal and societal issues. Key Takeaway Document and analyze intersecting personal and social themes. Themes poverty loss politics gender documentary Mood reflective determined Type analytical personal When to use this quote - journalism - academic study - activism - personal memoir - policy analysis Key Concepts intersectionality personal narrative social research Questions to Reflect On - How do personal experiences shape your understanding of larger social issues? - What methods can balance personal narrative with objective analysis? A Different Perspective May overlook broader systemic factors beyond personal experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Birth Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth-interested-1571683/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Document Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/document-poverty-1571682/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Interested Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-politics/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Document](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-document-1571684/) [Wanted Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-know/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [ I wanted to go amongst gangbangers, to understand this war they were fighting amongst each other. I wanted to document it, \[also\] to show… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-wanted-to-go-amongst-gangbangers-to-understand-this-war-they-were/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [Well, probably the best way to put it might be that at some time, not just in an instant, but over some period of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eggleston/well-probably-the-best-way-to-put-it-might-be-that-at-some-time-not/) [William Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eggleston/) > [I wasn't any good at sports, but I could name all the presidents by the time I was six. I've always been very interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fugelsang/i-wasn-t-any-good-at-sports-but-i-could-name-all-the-presidents-by/) [John Fugelsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fugelsang/) > [“You're too old to be saying to me, as you did recently, that you weren't 'interested in politics'. You're lucky that politics feels optional,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/you-re-too-old-to-be-saying-to-me-as-you-did-recently-that-you-weren/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [It's not that I'm not interested in politics, but rather, I think that the people who become politicians in Japan are not very dynamic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takafumi-horie/it-s-not-that-i-m-not-interested-in-politics-but-rather-i-think-that/) [Takafumi Horie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takafumi-horie/) > [I always thought of myself is a private-sector person. I was a reluctant candidate. I put in my time. Now it's somebody else's turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-always-thought-of-myself-is-a-private-sector-person-i-was-a/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [Saying 'I am not interested in politics' is no guarantee that people will leave you alone. The politically-inclined will single you out as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-subramanian/saying-i-am-not-interested-in-politics-is-no-guarantee-that-people/) [Ravi Subramanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-subramanian/) > [I got interested in politics during the civil rights movement and then Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-got-interested-in-politics-during-the-civil-rights-movement-and/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Granted, I'm more interested in technology than most people, and less interested in politics than most. But I don't like to think about categories.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/granted-i-m-more-interested-in-technology-than-most-people-and-less/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [All my life I've been interested in politics. I went on the miners march when I was six months old. My parents are really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-phillips/all-my-life-i-ve-been-interested-in-politics-i-went-on-the-miners/) [Jess Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-phillips/) > [People in show business who are interested in politics, like Ronald Reagan, fare so well because they do know the magic of dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberace/people-in-show-business-who-are-interested-in-politics-like-ronald/) [Liberace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberace/) > [I was always interested in politics and I had great leadership skills from a young age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-leigh-nel-peters/i-was-always-interested-in-politics-and-i-had-great-leadership-skills/) [Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-leigh-nel-peters/) > [My parents are interested in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/my-parents-are-interested-in-politics/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [People, not just reporters, are more interested in politics than in government, so the actual issues wouldn't be something that interested them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-trillin/people-not-just-reporters-are-more-interested-in-politics-than-in/) [Calvin Trillin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-trillin/) > [As a layperson, I consider myself fairly well-educated in terms of politics. My family always has been really interested in politics, and various members…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-scott/as-a-layperson-i-consider-myself-fairly-well-educated-in-terms-of/) [Reid Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-scott/) ## More by Eve Arnold > [If the photographer is interested in the people in front of his lens, and if he is compassionate, it's already a lot. The instrument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/if-the-photographer-is-interested-in-the-people-in-front-of-his-lens/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [I think if I ever get satisfied, I’ll have to stop. It’s the frustration that drives you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/i-think-if-i-ever-get-satisfied-i-ll-have-to-stop-it-s-the/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [The instrument is not the camera but the photographer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/the-instrument-is-not-the-camera-but-the-photographer/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [I came to photography by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/i-came-to-photography-by-accident/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [I never knew anyone who came close to Marilyn in natural ability to use both photographer and still camera. 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Even though there is total freedom, I still dislike studio photography and the contrived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/a-studio-session-provides-the-greatest-chance-for-control-even-though/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [What has changed is that when I photographed, most people that I photographed didn't have the right of refusal on their work. It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/what-has-changed-is-that-when-i-photographed-most-people-that-i/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [What do you hang on the walls of your mind?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/what-do-you-hang-on-the-walls-of-your-mind/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [Being a woman is just a marvelous plus in photographing. Men like to be photographed by women, it becomes flirtatious and fun, and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/being-a-woman-is-just-a-marvelous-plus-in-photographing-men-like-to/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [If the chemistry is right between star and photographer and the geometry of the pictures pleases the star, often the two people end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/if-the-chemistry-is-right-between-star-and-photographer-and-the/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [It's hard for me to assess what I brought because each time you pick up a camera and point it at a person, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/it-s-hard-for-me-to-assess-what-i-brought-because-each-time-you-pick/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [If you are careful with people, they will offer you part of themselves. That is the big secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/if-you-are-careful-with-people-they-will-offer-you-part-of-themselves/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) [Explore all 39 Eve Arnold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) ## More Affected quotes > [To tell you the truth I am hard put to think of anyone who's career was affected significantly by making all those phone calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabney-coleman/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-am-hard-put-to-think-of-anyone-who-s-career/) [Dabney Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabney-coleman/) > [First, climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity. It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. Instead, show them that you are happy even without them.. To put a sad face on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/don-t-show-them-that-you-are-affected-instead-show-them-that-you-are/) [Sharlene05](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharlene05/) > [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Don't be intimidated by people who seem to be experts. Hear their points of view and get their judgements. But at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/don-t-be-intimidated-by-people-who-seem-to-be-experts-hear-their/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Who what am I? 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