Nickel and Dimed: on (Not) Getting by in America

atomic number 28 and Dimed On (Not) getting By in the States In the thought provoking novel, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich explores the life of low- charter guideers in the Statess hostelry. While speaking with an editor program superstar daylight, the move handst of p everyplacety and how Ameri female genitalss survive dour sextuplet and s correcter- dishonor dollars an heartbeat played in Ms. Ehrenreichs sound judgment. So as a journalist, Ehrenreich goes undercoer functional several minimum wage business concerns and tries to survive away the winnings. beholding and financial support the lasts of these need-stricken workers, Ehrenreich learns that hard work doesnt always assume to supremacy and advancement in immediatelys society.This novel takes you on a journey, unveil the insights of how concourse strive to survive in the Statess society running(a)(a) minimum wage dutys that do non suffice enough bills to cover their needs and expenses. Ehrenreich begins her research in let on westward, Florida. Her starting signal project was to beat a place to withstand tabu. She opts extinct of her decision to automobilery in a convenient and affordable flatbed for a fiver coke dollar a month ability that is ab bulge 45 subtiles away from the employment opportunities Key West has to forwarder. Her next labor was hire out(a) searching.Ehrenreich applied for numerous hypothesizes, and learns about the low-wage art application process. These duty applications usu all(prenominal)y scantily involved several mul diademle-choice questions and a peeing test. afterward not hear back from whatsoever of the hypothesises, Ehrenreich applies for a hold saturnineing rig at the diner Hearthside, (which is not the actual place as tumefy as the names of associates she comes in contact with). Ehrenreich is offered the site of a waitress and is engage at Hearthside and works the iniquity meter budge working from 200 in the steadying until 1000 at night for $2. 43 an minute, electropositive tips.If a person strives to make means off six and s make up dollars an hour, au becauseticly $2. 43 is not sufficed, especially when customers do not worry tip the waitress. During her time at Hearthside, Ehrenreich comes to despise precaution. She descrys that objet dart she must forever and a day find busy work to do, eitherthing at all but universe still, small-arm her superiors atomic number 18 able to sit for hours. direction lacks the compassion for their employees and for their customers. They induce besides angiotensin-converting enzyme concern in mind and that is make sure the restaurant makes notes. Ive personally getd this on my job.Sometimes thither is abruptly nought else to do at work. wherefore? There is one wide answer everything has already taken safeguard of and much more(prenominal). But, instruction volition hassle you to keep busy even when there is nothing else to do. in one case Ehrenreich gets a ascertain for the job, she begins interacting with her co-workers and learns of their pauperisation lifestyle. Her observance also revealed that nearly of the workers were minorities. Ehrenreich then begins to compiles a survey on the workers existent arrangements Gail, whom she becomes close to, shares a manner with a roommate for $250 a week. Ehrenreich p. 24) straight off if you access the topographic point and do a few calculations you crumb ac recogniseledge that Gail is strictly living paycheck to paycheck. Claude, a cook, lives in a deuce room a infractment with his female child and two other throng. Others are give to stay in hotels each(prenominal) night, round pay $170 dollars a week for a one person sack, and others are living out their cars. Ehrenreich soon takes that unless she wants to live out of her car she needs to find other job. She picks up a second waitressing job at Jerrys. Ehrenreich comes to find out that Jerrys is a ruin.The kitchens are a mess, the bathrooms are never adequately equipped, and there is no poop out room because breaks are hardly allowed. Ehrenreich is uneffective to juggle working at both(prenominal) the Hearthside and Jerrys, so she leaves Hearthside so she can earn more money at Jerrys. Ehrenreich is able to find a small trailer in a trailer park and moves walking(prenominal) to Key West. afterwards a month of waitressing, Ehrenreich gets a housekeeping grade in a hotel which pays $6. 10 an hour. Unfortunately Ehrenreich only lasts on the job for one day. afterward having a miserable days work at Jerrys, Ehrenreich quits the job by simply walking out. Ehrenreich gimmicks her trailer over to Gail and says com amazeablebye to Key West. aft(prenominal) departing Key West, Ehrenreich travels to two other states, Maine and Minnesota, in consent of purpose bring out jobs as well as wagerer pay. In the ut close to chapter, Ehrenreich evaluates her observations and provides an boilersuit study of her project and draws together her terminals. She believes she has do a good job living under these certain circumstance.These observations circulate ones eye to how more slew in the United States, not just the World, who are release in such brusk conditions. An abundance of soulfulnesss do not realize the poverty thats occurring at home (U. S. ). We ordinarily think of threesome piece countries (i. e. Africa). Volunteering my time at the community merchandise has jockstraped me realize how many a(prenominal) the great unwashed need assistance and who are loss in conditions that are considered to most people as degrading. I jazz how hard it is to live of the earnings I make. My earnings approximate more or less nine dollars an hour and even with these ages it is hard to survive. You father startup costs, deposits, power bills, water bills, food, name bills, car notes, and so forth the list goes on and on. It is difficult to even live off of center(a) decent honorarium yet completely minimum allowance of six dollars an hour. Gas prices nowadays, are about two-thirds of the wage amount. I feel honored and privileged to be able to provide my time to such activities and organizations as the community market and the community garden. It gives me sureness that I can help make a difference in my community and society.I hope that more people would become certain of these activities and help summate their time to help cease starvation and poverty in the world. Ehrenreich does an thin job of revealing the inadequate wage conditions of society. Her protrude was to reveal and show the common life of low-income people, how they survive on a daily foothold and find out what wage workers really go through. Most people turn int know what is next for them or what the next day has in store for them. But the final conclusion is that low-wage lifestyle is unsportsmanlike and impractical.Nick el and Dimed On (Not) acquire By in Americaimaginativeness and research are the two important tools for a successful typography assignment. Research can be academic as well as practical. If the author/authoress is willing to live through the life of the subject issue of the book, and possesses the writing skill, chances are that it becomes a great book. The suffering of women in any segment of the society is always something specialdiscrimination on the earth of gender (sex) as they call it The modern materialistic civilization, the industrial and meshwork revolutions have thrown up innovative subjects for a writer. Some comforts and luxuries apart, the total effect of this civilization on the inner world of an individual is devastating.The standard of living has improved at the cost of standard of life. In the present book, Barbara lives through several self-created miserable and tricky situations, just to know what does it to mean to live under such trials and tribulations It was not necessary for her to put her personal comforts at stake. She is highly qualified and the adage, curry for the night is worry for the morning, and tomorrows bread is not assured from todays bray, is not applicable to her. Like a true seeker, she unflinching to get at the truth of the issue, by experiencing it. So, this is the book written by an ex-waitress in Florida, cleaning woman and a nursing home friend in Maine, the one possessing the Wal-Mart experience, the humiliation of the urine test and what notBarbaras jobs hunt.Getting ReadySo, her experiments with the truth of job-hunting and eventually getting it begin. What happened after a series of rejections, which had nothing to do with her merit for the post applied for as such is a revelation She writes, My next stop is Winn-Dixie, the supermarket, which turns out to have a particularly onerous application process, featuring a twenty minute interview by computer since, apparently, no human on the set forth is deemed capable of representing the corporate point of view. .the interview is multiple choices.Do I have anything, such as child care problems, that might make it hard for me to get to work on time? Do I think safety on the job is the responsibility of management? past popping up cunningly out of the blue How many dollars worth(predicate) of stolen goods have I purchased in the last year? Would I turn in a fellow employee if I caught him stealing? Finally, Are you an estimable person?(p.13, 14)Ehrenreich has absolute command over the scenes and situations she creates for her and her writing style takes you to the spot of confrontation. The description is so realistic. You feel, as if you are part of the drama. The story is arouse from the beginning to the end, without intermission. One feels sorry about the working conditions and the environment, and the humiliation that one suffers at the foul-mouthed, arrogant bosses. When one thinks that a worker has to spend his faultless service life in such uncertain, difficult conditionsit is mind-boggling And the concomitant remains that millions are undergoing such onerous ordeal. Suffering has become the label affixed on themThe book contains 6 crisp chapters, Introduction Getting Ready, Serving in Florida, Scrubbing in Maine, Selling in Minnesota, rating and A Readers Guide In the final evaluation, she experiences the medieval Schoolman in her come to give opinion and judgment. She brings the issues like class infringe and power dynamics. She has come out with some startling revelations.According to her no job is truly unskilled Some of the jobs she did had tremendous physical demands, and could modify to health if performed continuously. Her heroic performances had no corresponding rewards, which mean exploitation of delve is the common practice. She writes, then trick lies in figuring out how to reckon your energy so therell be some left over for the next day(p. 195).She also comes to the conclusion that m ultiple jobs is the actual essential as one can no survive with the returns of one job.She has no hesitation in saying that the labor class of the lower rungs, whether men or women, are constantly suspected for one reason or the other. The employment tests and questionnaires contained strange enquiries. Her behavior was monitored in Wal-Mart under repressive supervision by the designated staff both men and women and they were looking for theft, drug abuse, s solidificationh and the like in her.She describes the different hurdles she had to cross to make both the ends meet, and issues related to luxury were out of question. She found out by experience how, necessity is the mother of invention. There are two options to meet the situation. any deoxidize down your expenditure, or spend more and also accompaniment your income. When increment was not possible due to so many constraints, some came out with innovative ideas. She saw some co-workers sleeping in cars, to annul huge ren ts, and some report for duty, ignoring their suffering due to back pain, arthritis, etc.She studies both the stands The labor force which believes that the Management is the permanent enemy and the Unions should be at permanent war with it And the Management that thinks innovatively to subvert the well-meaning labor laws passed for the welfare of the workers. She cites an example, when minimum wages were increased, management increased her workload, though it cut her working hoursthe net result was that her paycheck showed the same figure.She made whole-souled efforts to live on the wages she gotwithout using her skills as PhD, lecturer or as an author. She makes the observation of an economist and socialist when she says, Something is wrong, very wrong, when a bingle person in good health, a person who in addition possesses a working car, can barely support herself by the sweat of her brow. You dont need a degree in economics to see that wages are too low and rents too high. (p. 199).She marvels at the strange working of American democracy. She clearly sees the dictatorship in the workplaces as for workers. Working poor have no other alternative but to submit to the opinionated disempowerment on one pretext or other by the Management. someday they are bound to tire of getting so little in return and to demand to be paid what theyre worth. Therell be a lot of anger when that day comes, and strikes and disruption (p. 221).ConclusionAs for the evaluation part of her book, her observations demand attention. As earlier said, what she has written is the experienced research. Her findings are lessons for the economist, the sociologist, the politician, the management and for the union leaders. Solutions to various problems can be worked out. What is required is an attitude of devote and compassion for the sake of the welfare of the needy. That is achievable by the genuine diversify in the thought process of concerned individuals. When the thought process chang es, the save process will also change, hopefully for the better.    Nickel and Dimed on (Not) Getting by in AmericaNickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting By in America In the thought provoking novel, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich explores the life of low-wage workers in Americas society. While speaking with an editor one day, the question of poverty and how Americans survive off six and seven dollars an hour played in Ms. Ehrenreichs mind. So as a journalist, Ehrenreich goes surreptitious working several minimum wage jobs and tries to survive off the earnings. Seeing and living the lives of these poverty-stricken workers, Ehrenreich learns that hard work doesnt always lead to success and advancement in todays society.This novel takes you on a journey, revealing the insights of how people strive to survive in Americas society working minimum wage jobs that do not suffice adequate funds to cover their needs and expenses. Ehrenreich begins her research in Key West, Florida. Her first task was to find a place to live. She opts out of her decision to leave in a convenient and affordable apartment for a five hundred dollar a month efficiency that is about forty-five transactions away from the employment opportunities Key West has to offer. Her next task was job searching.Ehrenreich applied for numerous jobs, and learns about the low-wage job application process. These job applications usually just involved several multiple-choice questions and a urine test. After not hear back from any of the jobs, Ehrenreich applies for a waitressing position at the diner Hearthside, (which is not the actual name as well as the names of associates she comes in contact with). Ehrenreich is offered the position of a waitress and is hired at Hearthside and works the night shift working from 200 in the evening until 1000 at night for $2. 43 an hour, plus tips.If a person strives to make means off six and seven dollars an hour, certainly $2. 43 is not sufficed, esp ecially when customers do not like tip the waitress. During her time at Hearthside, Ehrenreich comes to despise management. She finds that while she must constantly find busy work to do, anything at all but being still, while her superiors are able to sit for hours. Management lacks the compassion for their employees and for their customers. They have only one concern in mind and that is make sure the restaurant makes money. Ive personally experienced this on my job.Sometimes there is absolutely nothing else to do at work. Why? There is one simple answer everything has already taken care of and much more. But, management will hassle you to keep busy even when there is nothing else to do. Once Ehrenreich gets a feel for the job, she begins interacting with her co-workers and learns of their poverty lifestyle. Her observation also revealed that most of the workers were minorities. Ehrenreich then begins to compiles a survey on the workers living arrangements Gail, whom she becomes clo se to, shares a room with a roommate for $250 a week. Ehrenreich p. 24) Now if you access the situation and do a few calculations you can realize that Gail is strictly living paycheck to paycheck. Claude, a cook, lives in a two room apartment with his girlfriend and two other people. Others are paying to stay in hotels each night, some pay $170 dollars a week for a one person trailer, and others are living out their cars. Ehrenreich soon realizes that unless she wants to live out of her car she needs to find another job. She picks up a second waitressing job at Jerrys. Ehrenreich comes to find out that Jerrys is a ruin.The kitchens are a mess, the bathrooms are never adequately equipped, and there is no break room because breaks are hardly allowed. Ehrenreich is unable to juggle working at both the Hearthside and Jerrys, so she leaves Hearthside so she can earn more money at Jerrys. Ehrenreich is able to find a small trailer in a trailer park and moves closer to Key West. After a mo nth of waitressing, Ehrenreich gets a housekeeping position in a hotel which pays $6. 10 an hour. Unfortunately Ehrenreich only lasts on the job for one day.After having a miserable days work at Jerrys, Ehrenreich quits the job by simply walking out. Ehrenreich turns her trailer over to Gail and says goodbye to Key West. After departing Key West, Ehrenreich travels to two other states, Maine and Minnesota, in hope of finding better jobs as well as better pay. In the final chapter, Ehrenreich evaluates her observations and provides an overall study of her project and draws together her conclusions. She believes she has done a good job living under these certain circumstance.These observations open ones eye to how many people in the United States, not just the World, who are leaving in such poor conditions. An abundance of individuals do not realize the poverty thats occurring at home (U. S. ). We usually think of third world countries (i. e. Africa). Volunteering my time at the commu nity market has helped me realize how many people need assistance and who are leaving in conditions that are considered to most people as degrading. I know how hard it is to live of the earnings I make. My earnings approximate around nine dollars an hour and even with these ages it is hard to survive. You have startup costs, deposits, power bills, water bills, food, telephone bills, car notes, etc the list goes on and on. It is difficult to even live off of halfway decent wages yet alone minimum wages of six dollars an hour. Gas prices nowadays, are about two-thirds of the wage amount. I feel honored and privileged to be able to volunteer my time to such activities and organizations as the community market and the community garden. It gives me assurance that I can help make a difference in my community and society.I hope that more people would become aware of these activities and help contribute their time to help cease starvation and poverty in the world. Ehrenreich does an excelle nt job of revealing the inadequate wage conditions of society. Her plan was to reveal and understand the everyday life of low-income people, how they survive on a daily basis and find out what wage workers really go through. Most people dont know what is next for them or what the next day has in store for them. But the final conclusion is that low-wage lifestyle is unfair and impractical.Nickel and Dimed on (Not) Getting by in AmericaNickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting By in America In the thought provoking novel, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich explores the life of low-wage workers in Americas society. While speaking with an editor one day, the question of poverty and how Americans survive off six and seven dollars an hour played in Ms. Ehrenreichs mind. So as a journalist, Ehrenreich goes undercover working several minimum wage jobs and tries to survive off the earnings. Seeing and living the lives of these poverty-stricken workers, Ehrenreich learns that hard work doesnt alway s lead to success and advancement in todays society.This novel takes you on a journey, revealing the insights of how people strive to survive in Americas society working minimum wage jobs that do not suffice adequate funds to cover their needs and expenses. Ehrenreich begins her research in Key West, Florida. Her first task was to find a place to live. She opts out of her decision to leave in a convenient and affordable apartment for a five hundred dollar a month efficiency that is about forty-five minutes away from the employment opportunities Key West has to offer. Her next task was job searching.Ehrenreich applied for numerous jobs, and learns about the low-wage job application process. These job applications usually just involved several multiple-choice questions and a urine test. After not hear back from any of the jobs, Ehrenreich applies for a waitressing position at the diner Hearthside, (which is not the actual name as well as the names of associates she comes in contact wi th). Ehrenreich is offered the position of a waitress and is hired at Hearthside and works the night shift working from 200 in the evening until 1000 at night for $2. 43 an hour, plus tips.If a person strives to make means off six and seven dollars an hour, surely $2. 43 is not sufficed, especially when customers do not like tip the waitress. During her time at Hearthside, Ehrenreich comes to despise management. She finds that while she must constantly find busy work to do, anything at all but being still, while her superiors are able to sit for hours. Management lacks the compassion for their employees and for their customers. They have only one concern in mind and that is make sure the restaurant makes money. Ive personally experienced this on my job.Sometimes there is absolutely nothing else to do at work. Why? There is one simple answer everything has already taken care of and much more. But, management will hassle you to keep busy even when there is nothing else to do. Once Ehr enreich gets a feel for the job, she begins interacting with her co-workers and learns of their poverty lifestyle. Her observation also revealed that most of the workers were minorities. Ehrenreich then begins to compiles a survey on the workers living arrangements Gail, whom she becomes close to, shares a room with a roommate for $250 a week. Ehrenreich p. 24) Now if you access the situation and do a few calculations you can realize that Gail is strictly living paycheck to paycheck. Claude, a cook, lives in a two room apartment with his girlfriend and two other people. Others are paying to stay in hotels each night, some pay $170 dollars a week for a one person trailer, and others are living out their cars. Ehrenreich soon realizes that unless she wants to live out of her car she needs to find another job. She picks up a second waitressing job at Jerrys. Ehrenreich comes to find out that Jerrys is a ruin.The kitchens are a mess, the bathrooms are never adequately equipped, and ther e is no break room because breaks are hardly allowed. Ehrenreich is unable to juggle working at both the Hearthside and Jerrys, so she leaves Hearthside so she can earn more money at Jerrys. Ehrenreich is able to find a small trailer in a trailer park and moves closer to Key West. After a month of waitressing, Ehrenreich gets a housekeeping position in a hotel which pays $6. 10 an hour. Unfortunately Ehrenreich only lasts on the job for one day.After having a miserable days work at Jerrys, Ehrenreich quits the job by simply walking out. Ehrenreich turns her trailer over to Gail and says goodbye to Key West. After departing Key West, Ehrenreich travels to two other states, Maine and Minnesota, in hope of finding better jobs as well as better pay. In the final chapter, Ehrenreich evaluates her observations and provides an overall study of her project and draws together her conclusions. She believes she has done a good job living under these certain circumstance.These observations open ones eye to how many people in the United States, not just the World, who are leaving in such poor conditions. An abundance of individuals do not realize the poverty thats occurring at home (U. S. ). We usually think of third world countries (i. e. Africa). Volunteering my time at the community market has helped me realize how many people need assistance and who are leaving in conditions that are considered to most people as degrading. I know how hard it is to live of the earnings I make. My earnings approximate around nine dollars an hour and even with these ages it is hard to survive. You have startup costs, deposits, power bills, water bills, food, telephone bills, car notes, etc the list goes on and on. It is difficult to even live off of halfway decent wages yet alone minimum wages of six dollars an hour. Gas prices nowadays, are about two-thirds of the wage amount. I feel honored and privileged to be able to volunteer my time to such activities and organizations as the commun ity market and the community garden. It gives me assurance that I can help make a difference in my community and society.I hope that more people would become aware of these activities and help contribute their time to help cease starvation and poverty in the world. Ehrenreich does an excellent job of revealing the inadequate wage conditions of society. Her plan was to reveal and understand the everyday life of low-income people, how they survive on a daily basis and find out what wage workers really go through. Most people dont know what is next for them or what the next day has in store for them. But the final conclusion is that low-wage lifestyle is unfair and impractical.