Nickel And Dimed Reflection

To begin with, Ehrenreich’s method of research does take a lot of commitment and it is a difficult simulation to have to experience, however, there is an entire section of research she can not obtain from this method of research. Ehrenreich can not get an accurate representation of her co-worker’s past struggles and their current situations away from work. In her novel, Ehrenreich quotes, “...but it would take a long time, probably months before I could hope to be accepted into this sorority,” (Ehrenreich 395). The poor working class, at Jerry’s at least, is a closed off society. The workers only trust people that are in similar situations as them and do not openly share their

What is most interesting about Barbara Ehrenreich?s journalistic venture is that she worked in a white color position as an accomplished journalist, but her immediate family came from a meager financial background. It appears as though she had a grasp on the hardships of poverty in America, which is why she wanted to dig deeper. Ehrenreich?s sister had a series of low paid jobs, her father worked in the coal mine, and her husband met her when he was making only $4.50 an hour. Ehrenreich began her research in 1998 and the book was published in 2001. Ehrenreich did not set out to be poor. She set out to bring attention to the condition of the survival of a minimum wage income of $6.00-$7.00 per hour.

While conducting her experiment, Barbara Ehrenreich is also learning about the coworkers’ background and their living conditions. She provides the reader information on the way that specific person is living (with who and where) and the amount of money they’re spending on rent. She then begins to talk about how working a minimum wage can be difficult to everyone. By giving this connection, Ehrenreich is connecting to the public through an emotional standpoint. The audience might also be able to relate to one of Ehrenreich’s coworkers, which increases her credibility. Her point of wanting to prove to the public to increase the minimum wage is backed up through this connection because Ehrenreich is demonstrating to them that despite employee's background, rent is going to be an expense that everyone is going to have to encounter some time in their life. Ehrenreich also discusses about some sacrifices that coworkers had to make due to their lack of funds. She talks about how a coworker’s boyfriend lost his job because he missed so much time from work because he couldn’t afford the prescribed antibiotic he needed due to an injury. If employees doesn’t have the sufficient funds from their employers, they’re going to have to make a sufficient amount of sacrifices in other areas just so they’re able to have enough money to afford paying rent.

One new experience can bring a whole other dimension. Viewpoints on life change, knowledge is gained through mistakes, and one may find themselves trapped in a maze-like situation that they need to find a way out of. However, making the best out of one’s position through determination, perseverance, and courage can slowly reverse the difficulty of handling it. Eventually, as strength is regained from tough obstacles, the desire to obtain their dreams escalates even further, which aids in working harder and striving to reach their goals. Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of Nickel and Dimed, depicts the financial struggles of single mothers who raise their families through minimum-wage jobs after the welfare reform affected their lifestyles. In the novel, Ehrenreich tests the limits of living in poverty by accepting any scarce job that was offered, and provides insight that although it was exhausting to balance her needs and her hectic work schedule, by diligently laboring, constantly persisting in seeking the better, and voicing out the wrongs, it can eventually lead to the attainment of the American Dream.

Ehrenreich is part of the upper-middle class; she is "privileged" to have a job in which she makes money by sitting at her desk and writing (E 2). She has never considered herself one of the working poor before this experiment, even though she explains, "the low-wage way of life had never been many degrees of separation away" (E

Ehrenreich uses the example of a restaurant. The cook has the job of making delicious food and the waitresses serve the food happily. In her analysis she says the manager has one job and that job is to make sure that money is being made. This job is not needed. The workers already know they have to work in order to keep their job. The managing part of being a manager should fall onto a boss and should not be its own separate entity. This analysis contributes to the strengths of her argument by showing that she is not there working but she is also taking note of everything going on around her which makes her job that much harder. Relating back to her question that drove her to do this experiment. Ehrenreich would later analyze what unskilled truly meant and came to the conclusion that “The first thing I discovered is that no job, no matter how lowly, is truly “unskilled””. She does not only analyze the workplace but she analyzes her experiment and relates it back to her question and from this analysis she finds out that every job requires a certain skill. Her weakness in her argument is when she breaks the laws she put upon herself. An example of this is when she admits that she had failed. In chapter 2 she states “I had gone into this venture in the spirit of science, to test a mathematical proposition, but somewhere along the line, in the tunnel vision imposed by long shifts and relentless concentration, it became a test of myself,

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Is about a woman, a journalist who goes undercover to witness the Welfare Program the government provides for the poor and people in need. Ehrenreich is white and middle class. She claims that her experience would have been radically different had she been a person of color or a single parent. Ehrenreich had not much to worry about other than finding a job and a somewhat comfortable living space. If she had not been white , her experience would have been drastically different in my opinion. With little money, during this time period things were still not too expensive but not too affordable for some people.

Throughout the book Ehrenreich’s co-workers all seem to struggle, such as the trouble with housing in Key West and healthcare in Maine. Having a place to live, eating properly, and healthcare seem to be the biggest cause of concern within the working class. Most of the jobs that she worked, the workers did not have healthcare packages or benefits. So it wasn’t uncommon for them to have trouble trying to manage their health and struggle to pay for medication, let alone a visit to the doctor. Without healthcare and a lack of proper diet (in Maine she had a ‘thirty minute’ lunch break but most of her co-workers barely ate anything close to a meal) it is not hard to see how the working class can easily be shot into poverty; seeing as most of the working class that she had encountered were just living above the poverty line. Reading about what she noticed and noted about her co-workers it isn’t hard to imagine how easy it would be to fall below the poverty

Ehrenreich proclaims her message through her experiences and as well as her evidence. Therefore, when she begins her experiment, she starts to get an insight of her co-worker’s lives and the struggles they face in the world. Through her surveys, it has been revealed that her job in Key West, Florida “shows no sign of being financially viable” (25). Most of her coworkers either rent a room or sleep in their car. As for Maine, it becomes difficult to acquire an

The main Topic of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is how labor and poverty are used when working and how people have to go through these conditions in order to survive. In the beginning, Barbara Ehrenreich was an undercover journalist search to find the truth behind minimum- wage works. Throughout the book she wrote about people she met and their issues, a boy named George was an example of labor and injustice because he was accused of stealing but it was never proven. Ehrenreich main goal is being able to pay her bills. But she then realizes has to get two more jobs to manage. Hard work has been a huge impact in poverty because of the horrible conditions workers have to go through in order to keep their jobs. Even when times there are

She uses a suitable method of research that gives her a full understanding of the people she works with. By being on the same level as the working poor it gives Ehrenreich an accurate picture of their lives because she is more sensitive towards their situation, a stronger understanding builds that there are privileges people get that the working poor don’t get, and she becomes involved in situations that happen while these people are working for an unlivable wage. This method of research gives Ehrenreich the opportunity to physically put herself in the working poor’s shoes and get to know who they are and the way they live. By the end of her research she realizes and deeply understands the spare moments many workers have to actually enjoy themselves and not be running to their next job. Instead of only getting to know them for the day, she is able to get to fully know the many people that struggle to make a living today and grasp their situation on an even deeper

I have to agree with Ehrenreich that there is no job unskilled. Even jobs that require simple tasks still requires the employee attention and practice to master perfection. I thought Ehrenreich did well while working in low-wage jobs. She is a good observer. Looking for a shelter, safe place to sleep can be difficult especially for a woman. I think the way welfare works in this country is obsolete in somehow unfair. The poor is limited by politicians regulations. The government does not help. The government as is usual allures people. Ehrenreich project shows the welfare problem on her book. From her book, I assume how much taxes the rich, the poor are or aren’t paying. With Ehrenreich project, I learned how little I know about how the poor

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a book about trying to survive while living on a minimum wage salaryWhen first reading this book, I thought it was just going to be another book assigned that I just didn’t want to read After reading the first few pages, I was very intrigued, I began reading way ahead what was assigned for the week I 'm glad I actually got into this book because it made it so much easier to read She goes and starts her life over in different cities in order to see if it is possible to survive working at low paying jobs She starts with a small amount of money to start up and tries to get a job and a place to live She is not allowed to fall back on her bank account in order to pay bills or buy food unless she is at

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a very daring book. It explores the idea of how far the issues with poverty have truly gone. It was even scary at times to hear all of the things the media carefully glazes over in such horrific detail. In fact, it would be intriguing to see the story done in a more storytelling type of style rather than with such a rigid structure. With the style it was done in I found myself unable to feel the struggle as much as I could have. This said I still found myself having to pause and reflect on exactly how easy I have had it in life.

Ehrenreich applies for many different jobs and ends up choosing between Wal-Mart and Menards. She picks Wal-Mart and find herself working in the women 's department organizing and hanging up clothes. She realizes that she must became friendly with the dressing room attendants in order to make her job easier. Again her supervisors constantly get on her about wasting time. She uses her break times to talk to her fellow workers about a union but quits before really getting anything started.