---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After all, a homeless man has reason to…"
description: "\"After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in the world is pointed against him.\" — Jack Kerouac"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg"
---

#  After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in…

![“After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in the world is pointed against him.” quote by Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg)

> “After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in the world is pointed against him.”

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Empathy for the marginalized; recognizing systemic oppression.

**In simple terms:** Homelessness causes deep sorrow.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate compassion and address systemic barriers.

Themes

social justice empathy inequality

Mood

empathetic somber

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- urban poverty
- mental health
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

human suffering social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What can we do to alleviate systemic oppression?
- How does personal empathy translate to action?

A Different Perspective

Individual stories may not capture broader systemic causes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Homeless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeless/) [Homeless Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeless-man-1023312/) [Man Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-reason/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Pointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-pointed-2520632/)

## Related quotes

> [We simply believe that we should lean into the world with something other than the pointed edge of a sword.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murphy/we-simply-believe-that-we-should-lean-into-the-world-with-something/)

[Chris Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murphy/)

> [I met this homeless man who had never owned a shirt in his life. He had taken his pants and worn them as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-stiles/i-met-this-homeless-man-who-had-never-owned-a-shirt-in-his-life-he/)

[Julia Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-stiles/)

> [“When I was a boy, I passed a homeless man, drunk and begging on a street corner. My father, sensing my disgust, said something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-crouch/when-i-was-a-boy-i-passed-a-homeless-man-drunk-and-begging-on-a/)

[Blake Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-crouch/)

> [“Bburke used to, whenever he went to the city to catch a Yankees game, throw his money around to every homeless man on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-smith/bburke-used-to-whenever-he-went-to-the-city-to-catch-a-yankees-game/)

[A.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-smith/)

> [Look outside your window, and GOD will appear. Not as an apparition but in a song of a children and those who playing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/look-outside-your-window-and-god-will-appear-not-as-an-apparition-but/)

[Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/)

> [“Nearby, another homeless man is standing in the middle of the sidewalk, having a full-volume conversation with nobody. I think, Am I so different?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-crouch/nearby-another-homeless-man-is-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-sidewalk/)

[Blake Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-crouch/)

> [Today I was approached by a homeless man who asked if I had any change. I only had two dimes, but I gave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-i-was-approached-by-a-homeless-man-who-asked-if-i-had-any/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A homeless man standing at the off-ramp: the question in these moments isn't whether Jesus is in Him, but in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hart/a-homeless-man-standing-at-the-off-ramp-the-question-in-these-moments/)

[Mark Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hart/)

> [Just bought a homeless man a big plate of Jamaican Food...moral of the story is do onto others as you would have them do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/just-bought-a-homeless-man-a-big-plate-of-jamaican-food-moral-of-the/)

[Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/)

> [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [“As my friend and I talked, a homeless man sang just across the street from us, and we caught his voice in the snatches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/as-my-friend-and-i-talked-a-homeless-man-sang-just-across-the-street/)

[Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/)

> [“Clothes are a homeless man’s home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/clothes-are-a-homeless-man-s-home/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“Treat him as a friend and save a life - A homeless man is not a leper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/treat-him-as-a-friend-and-save-a-life-a-homeless-man-is-not-a-leper/)

[sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/)

> [“A homeless man visited my store today. The few quarters that he had in his pocket he invested on books. I offered him free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/besa-kosova/a-homeless-man-visited-my-store-today-the-few-quarters-that-he-had-in/)

[Besa Kosova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/besa-kosova/)

> [Once, my little sister was walking down the street in her thick black glasses, and a homeless man muttered, Talk nerdy to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/once-my-little-sister-was-walking-down-the-street-in-her-thick-black/)

[Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/)

## More by Jack Kerouac

> [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“For when you realized that God is Everything you know that you've got to love everything no matter how bad it is, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-when-you-realized-that-god-is-everything-you-know-that-you-ve-got/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“I'm an idealist who has outgrown my idealism I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-an-idealist-who-has-outgrown-my-idealism-i-have-nothing-to-do-the/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“Most of them were running away from something―usually the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/most-of-them-were-running-away-from-something-usually-the-law/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“Non lo so, non importa e non fa nessuna differenza.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/non-lo-so-non-importa-e-non-fa-nessuna-differenza/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“And in the flush of the first few days of joy I confidently tell myself (not expecting what I'll do in three weeks only)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/and-in-the-flush-of-the-first-few-days-of-joy-i-confidently-tell/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I want a blaze of light to flame in me forever in a timeless, dear love of everything. And why should I pretend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-want-a-blaze-of-light-to-flame-in-me-forever-in-a-timeless-dear/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“For the next week that was all I heard - manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-the-next-week-that-was-all-i-heard-manana-a-lovely-word-and-one/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“O how wonderful life is, how miraculous, God made this and God made that", "how do you know he doesn't hate what He did:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/o-how-wonderful-life-is-how-miraculous-god-made-this-and-god-made/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [Notoriety and public confession in the literary form is a frazzler of the heart you were born with, believe me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/notoriety-and-public-confession-in-the-literary-form-is-a-frazzler-of/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I promise I shall never give up, and that I'll die yelling &amp; laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-promise-i-shall-never-give-up-and-that-i-ll-die-yelling-laughing/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [“The hot water pools are steaming, Fagan and Monsanto and the others are all sitting peacefully up to their necks, they're all naked, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-hot-water-pools-are-steaming-fagan-and-monsanto-and-the-others/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

[Explore all 936 Jack Kerouac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

## More Cry quotes

> [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/)

[Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/)

> [ That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying \[in "Hardball"\] because it was some real. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking-so-crazy-when-i-was-crying-in/)

[Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/)

> [And then theres always the crying and the weeping that we hear-children, women, even men. And these images and these sounds are always with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/and-then-theres-always-the-crying-and-the-weeping-that-we-hear/)

[Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/)

> [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [My idea for 'BoneMan's Daughters' came from the loss of my own daughter when she left home to live with a monster at age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/my-idea-for-boneman-s-daughters-came-from-the-loss-of-my-own-daughter/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [I knew Jimmy Dean. He tested for 'Battle Cry'. Paul Newman tested for 'Battle Cry'. I did nine tests to finally get that role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/i-knew-jimmy-dean-he-tested-for-battle-cry-paul-newman-tested-for/)

[Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/)

> [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/)

[Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/)

> [I've never bought this idea of taking a therapeutic distance. If I see a student or house staff cry, I take great faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/i-ve-never-bought-this-idea-of-taking-a-therapeutic-distance-if-i-see/)

[Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/)

> [I cry at the end of every book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/i-cry-at-the-end-of-every-book/)

[Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/)

> [ The most important thing I learned \[...\] was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-extence/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-was-that-when-a-person-dies-he/)

[Gavin Extence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-extence/)

> [I would have done anything for him. Maybe that was my sickness. We made love in nothing places and turned the lights off. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-would-have-done-anything-for-him-maybe-that-was-my-sickness-we-made/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [It is easy to speak words of love, or to meditate lovingly upon those people with whom you are in harmony. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ponder/it-is-easy-to-speak-words-of-love-or-to-meditate-lovingly-upon-those/)

[Catherine Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ponder/)

> [I had rather be a Kitten, and cry mew, Than one of these same Meeter Ballad-mongers: I had rather heare a Brazen Candlestick turn'd,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-had-rather-be-a-kitten-and-cry-mew-than-one-of-these-same-meeter/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

[Browse all 4,998 Cry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in the world is pointed against him.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jack Kerouac"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-cry-everything-in-the-world-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cry"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-cry-everything-in-the-world-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/jack-kerouac-182_cry_after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-c_1051759.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in the world is pointed against him.” — Jack Kerouac",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jack Kerouac",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "After all, a homeless man has...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-cry-everything-in-the-world-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/after-all-a-homeless-man-has-reason-to-cry-everything-in-the-world-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
