Final answer:
The proverb means that a rich person may gain more appreciation for non-material aspects of life when they become poor, contrasting with a poor person who might overlook these values when they become rich.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mexican proverb from the novel suggests that a rich person who loses wealth may gain a greater appreciation for life's non-material assets than a poor person who acquires wealth. This saying implies that through the loss of financial status, a rich person may develop a deeper understanding and gratitude for simple pleasures, relationships, and virtues that wealth cannot buy. On the other hand, a poor person becoming rich might focus more on the material gains and miss the intangible values that they had when less affluent.
The expressions by the wealthy about the value of their wealth, and the admonition by Jesus that it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, both suggest that having wealth can be a barrier to understanding and valuing the non-material aspects of life. The various perspectives provided illustrate that wealth and poverty are complex concepts, influenced by personal, societal, and cultural factors.
We must acknowledge the subjective nature of wealth in that what constitutes as being rich or poor can vary greatly between individuals and societies, as reflected in the different representations of poverty mentioned.