When dozens of these compressed life stories are read in a row, they amass the moral force of a Steinbeck novel. They explain why Occupy Wall Street became an instant brand across the country.

George Packer has a poignant article in the New Yorker describing the mixed experience of one man who traveled from Seattle to New York to join the Occupy protest. The movement he joins gives him life but ends up possibly being just another institution that fails him.

The quote above refers to the “We Are the 99 Percent” Tumblr feed, which has featured a steady stream of heartbreaking stories.