Jesse Bent

The world of work is not as glamorous as some may view it as. In Barbara Ehrenreich's essay, she highlights her experience of searching for job and her experience of working a low wage job serving in a restaurant. She highlights her experience she had while searching for different job positions and her time as working as a waitress in a restaurant. During her stint of being a waitress, she recognizes similar characteristics that is shared by the other employees in the restaurant. Through Ehrenreich’s essay, she hones her emotional and logical appeals by describing the occurrences that accompanies low wage jobs. In the essay “Serving in Florida,” Ehrenreich uses comparisons, antanagoge and parentheses to develop her focus on the struggles of

On his way to work one day he found a letter stating that most personnel were going to be laid off. Most young people Gordon’s age tried to find jobs, tried to find a way to support themselves while they stayed in school. Most jobs instead of hiring told young people that they were firing, because of this many high school students had to quit school. Teens did everything they could to find jobs to help provide for their

Roszak makes a point in his essay about jobs being our salvation, where he describe there is no end to a working life. Roszak describes the waste of time in people’s jobs and that most employees don’t even put all of their effort into them. He figures

We’ve looked at work from many different views in this class. From the bottom in Mike Roses book, Mind at Work which looks at the, on the jobsite skills and intelligence needed in the work force. Along with the way our society and education play a role in that. And then there was the middle working class view by journalist and author Barbara Ehreinch and her book Nickel and Dimed, which saw a middle class person look at the low wage lifestyle of Americans, and her failed attempt to live off wages. It ended up very one sided and controversial since it was a wealthier person trying to look in on a subject they could never understand. But one thing that I never really felt or saw either one really look at is the connection between work and life balance they only looked at the different aspects of work and those factors. But I feel there was a factor left out and it is life, family, personal aspects.

Writing back to back examples of not just blue-collar workers, but of loved ones really help to hone in on his point. Rose attempts to achieve an even deeper connection with his readers. Rose reveals memories of his uncle Joe by saying, “When I was a young man, Joe took me on a tour of the factory. The floor was loud—in some places deafening—and when I turned a corner or opened a door, the smell of chemicals knocked my head back. The work was repetitive and taxing and the pace was inhumane” (248). Rose is giving another example of blue-collar work that his audience can possible relate to. His uncle’s everyday duties required him to be sharp, focused and proactive not only in order to get the job done, but to get the job done in a safe manner. Rose then goes on to describe his uncle Joe’s blue-collar work as one who, “Joe constantly faced new problems and became a consummate multi-tasker, evaluating a flurry of demands quickly, parceling out physical and mental resources, keeping a number of ongoing events in his mind, returning to whatever task had been interrupted, and maintaining a cool head under pressure of grueling production schedules” (248). Rose’s intention is to express the high demands blue-collar workers face. Rose wants his readers to understand that blue-collar work in not all physical; moreover, by

In the “Wal-Mart Greeter” interview in GiGi, Jim Churchman reason we should work is that working gives us self-worth. Jim states, “My favorite thing about the job is the fact that I have a job. It’s a lot better than sitting around home, you know?”(4). Jim Churchman’s idea and reasoning for work is inspiring because of the positivity he brings to the table about his job. Churchman could have continued to just be retired playing golf, but he chose to continue working because he knew he was able to, and wanted to continue his life around people rather than just sitting at home. Churchman describes going from pulling freight and stocking to becoming the greeter as,” I thought, I don’t know if I can handle that. I don’t know if I can be effervescent all the time”

He is very convincing that blue collar work is hard and tolling, rather than applying one’s self to essays and school work. The author states factories move or downsize causing jobs to be unreliable. Machines breakdown also causing downtime in your work. While being away at school is far less stress and sleeping in rather than being at the factory bright and early in the mornings.

Barbara Ehrenreich in her book “Nickel and Dimed” first handily accounts her experiences and trials as a well educated and prosperous woman who goes out and encapsulates the life of an American service worker, through reading, I questioned the validity of her words, experiences and wondered how much of the real trials did she actually face. It is no question that Ehrenreich worked the hours, put in the labor, and accounted her own work difficulties but prior her experience set limitations which include basic privileges such as no intentions of homelessness or going hungry but these privileges are also ones that she experiences that her co-workers most of the time, don’t. Ehrenreich even goes through and depicts the housing arrangements of her

Leah LaBelle once stated, ¨Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to.” Society is often caught in the realm between making a living and being content with the work someone is completing. Some argue that happiness should come before money, but others feel as though money allows for more opportunities to create joy. In Mike Rowe: Learning from dirty jobs, Rowe addresses that there are several distasteful jobs that are available to the American people, however, “The broken basic bargain” discusses the psychological issues that can accompany someone should he/she follow one of these unpleasant careers.

Each job keeps getting better and they begin to have a life again where they eat to satisfy themselves. "'That's a hell of a long ways,' said Tom. 'How we know they's gonna be work when we get there?' 'Well, we don't know,' said Floyd. 'But they ain't nothin' here, an' this fella says he got a letter from his brother, an he's on his way. He says not to tell nobody, they'll be too many. We oughta get out in the night"(Steinbeck

Many people in today’s society find themselves guilty of believing the common misconception that money can buy happiness. They go to school to become a doctor, lawyer, or other high paying job, with money and social status as their only incentives. Many will find that they have fallen into a trap, when they start earning their large salary, but still are not happy. While there were many messages present throughout Studs Terkels Working: a graphic adaptation, the most important reoccurring message seemed to be that having pride and dignity as well as working at a job that fulfills one’s life passion or is simply enjoyable are more important qualities than earning a large salary and having a high rank on the social ladder. The interaction of

One of the most important things I've learned while working in this factory is to never forget the little details. Never forget the way the birds looked when they would take off into flight; never forget the bright blue of the sky, and the clouds that cover the sun's modesty; and to never forget how important this job is to my family. Before I had gotten my job working at the Bibb Mill, I imaged I would work in a quiet factory with only the chatter of employees breaking the silence. I wouldn't have imagined the loud spin of the mills deafening both my mother and I. I certainly didn't imagine waking up in the wee hours of the morning, changing into my second pair of overalls, eating whatever I leftover from dinner, and heading to work. I wasn't really assigned to any specific work, but I would help my mother to whatever she couldn’t handle. Often times covering for her during her break to add a few extra cents to her paycheck. Whenever I was unsure of what to do, I would follow the lead of the children I work next to.

The contributors address both sweeping concerns—echoing Thomas Piketty, particularly regarding the African-American population: “As bad as income inequality is in the United States, wealth inequality is even worse”—and specific issues, including the idea of the “work-life balance”: as Leonard rightly notes, “working-class women have always ‘done it all.’

When my mom told me she was laid off, I knew we were in big trouble. Money was starting to become an issue in our household. Although she would never say it, I could tell she wanted me to find a job because she and Pappa, for the time being, were unemployed. I finally landed a position in “retail”, or as the rest of the world called it, a cashier position at Walmart. I was proud to work there, even if it was in the bad part of a bad town. I thought I could handle it; never did I realize how coddled I was, growing up in the privileged town of Andover. Enshrouded in my bubble of privilege and false sense of security, I was in danger of what lied ahead.

Working at ACE Hardware matured me as a person through creating an optimistic development of myself and allowing me to realize my drive in life by giving me responsibilities and a sense of purpose. To further explain, through being given duties and thus a sense that my actions mattered in addition to watching the business strive and meeting such an abundance of amiable coworkers and cordial customers I became optimistic and joyful. My mental transformation occurred due to being given tasks such as customer service, cashiering, stocking shelves, cleaning, updating inventory, and projects to improve the store. As a result, every weekend morning or after school on days I worked I look forward to walking through ACE's sliding glass door, buttoning up my red tweed vest, hooking my radio on my ear. Before ACE Hardware I viewed the world pessimistically and believed life to be meaningless. However, after I began working my entire outlook on life changed positively. For example, when I felt excluded during my stay at University