Essay Questions

What literary techniques does the author use to inspire the reader to identify with the narrator?

The author uses physical descriptive language, particularly adjectives, to describe how he felt as a child. He describes the heat, the lack of air conditioning in 1950's Hawaii, and the way the dust blew into the door of the Superette and had to be swept out. The first-person singular narrator helps give these descriptions realism, and they allow the narrator to share his thoughts, emotions, and reactions with the reader.

The author keeps his vocabulary simple. When describing things that happened to him when he was young, he uses short, easy to understand words that a child might use. He does not use sophisticated sentence structure such as compound-complex sentences, and he uses the active voice to create a sense of immediacy.

The author uses wealth related symbolism and imagery, such as the Cadillac owned by his wealthy friend, to show the reasons why he is attracted to wealth. He also shares personal anecdotes, particularly one about being rejected by "rich" peers who shun Robert and Mike for not having money. Most human beings can identify with the feeling of being treated as less important than others.

All people remember their childhoods, and nearly everyone has had the experience of being told "no" as a child. Most children have the experience of being excluded or of being bullied or snubbed socially. When Kiyosaki shares a similar story, the reader can easily imagine himself or herself as a child who had the same experience. Having thus identified with the narrator, the reader therefore finds it easier to believe that he or she, too, can learn from Kiyosaki's experience.

Compare and contrast the "Rich Dad" and "Poor Dad" characters.

Both of Kiyosaki's father figures are male, and both are fathers of boys who are roughly the same age. Both dads love their sons and care deeply about them. Both want their sons to succeed and to have happy lives. Poor Dad and Rich Dad are highly involved parents who like to interact with their children and who want to guide and instruct them. Both men have well-established career paths, and both take an interest in Robert. Although Poor Dad is Robert's biological father, Rich Dad also takes a paternal interest in him. Finally, both "dads" began their careers without much in terms of money but did well in their respective professions due to their outstanding work ethic.

The two men differ in three important ways. They have made different educational and career choices and goals. They have different approaches to money, and they have radically different perspectives on life. Poor Dad is highly educated and has outstanding academic credentials, but Rich Dad has no high school diploma since his education came from work and from business situations. However he has a high degree of financial literacy and outstanding financial discipline. Poor Dad, who lacks financial education, has a habit of spending everything he earns no matter how high his income becomes. He develops a "sour grapes" attitude toward money and pretends he doesn't value it. Rich Dad knows how to invest and to earn passive income. He always saves and invests, and his investments provide him with even more income. He values and respects money, and being rich is one of his goals. Finally, Poor Dad sees himself as being limited and stuck at a middle-class standard of living, and he often says that he "can't" afford something. Rich Dad, by contrast, refuses to say that he "can't" afford something and is more likely to find creative ways to ensure he can.

With which of his "dads" does the narrator identify more strongly? Why?

Kiyosaki's narrator identifies more strongly with the Rich Dad character, who is ironically not his biological dad. He absorbs Rich Dad's deliberate instruction in matters of money and education. He takes Rich Dad's advice about work, working for knowledge and skills instead of simply for money. He takes Rich Dad's advice about investment and buys real estate that is capable of generating more money in rent than it requires in mortgage payment and upkeep. He ignores Poor Dad's career and education advice in the process. He also rejects Poor Dad's recommendation of advanced education as a path to success, choosing instead to make a living as an entrepreneur.

Although he never speaks disrespectfully of his biological father, Kiyosaki's narrator appears to feel a greater affinity for Rich Dad in terms of perspective and personality. Robert is simply not cut out to be happy working for other people, and he identifies more strongly with the entrepreneur personality.

One of the more controversial themes in this book is the notion that many of life's most important lessons are not taught in schools. How does the book propose to correct this problem, and what mechanism does the author introduce?

Kiyosaki argues that the basic perspectives and attitudes about money are not, and possibly cannot be, taught in schools. Students may be taught practical matters such as how to balance a checkbook and how credit cards work, but they are not taught about cash flow or investment. They also learn money management from a very theoretical, textbook perspective... which doesn't work as well for students who learn by doing and by practice. Nor is the financial education provided in schools particularly fun or interesting, so many students ignore it completely. Furthermore, learning something in a classroom does not create the habitual behaviors that result in wealth accumulation.

To correct this problem, Kiyosaki wrote this book, does promotional seminars, and has released a board game to introduce financial literacy in a way that makes learning fun and attractive. This board game is designed to be winnable only by players who manage their game money intelligently and who make decisions that place them on the financial "fast track". Kiyosaki's rationale is that people who have fun playing the game will play it for fun but learn as they play. Eventually, a person who spends enough time playing the game will consciously grasp the fundamental principles of wealth accumulation.