[new cruelty]

To get to my point, the poor are treated as completely dependent upon the rest of society and when the rug is pulled out from under them, they are left absolutely helpless. This, in my opinion, is not like the real world. I have heard said many times that during the depression the country people didn't know that they were poor.

In the book, the few people that remained in Starnesville, Wisconsin don't exactly fit what you've described, but IIRC, they were less than enthusiastic about Hank and Dagny offering them money for directions to the Twenty First Century Motor Company. They knew they were poor but didn't really seem to care anymore.

[new cruelty]

ok... I’m getting ahead of the narrative. I promise, that’s the last spoiler.

[Publius]

They knew they were poor but didn't really seem to care anymore.

I've spent the past half-hour reading and re-reading that sentence, and I've come to realize that there is a universe of truth, both open and hidden, in that sentence.

People can be poor in material resources or poor in spirit. Some are only poor in one, and some in both. Those who are poor in material resources but rich in spirit will do well. But those poor in both areas will end up like the folks of Starnesville, simply not giving a damn.